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Breheny Family History

Breheny Surname Meaning

Irish (Connacht): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac an Bhreitheamhnaigh ‘son of the judge’.

Anglicized in Scotland as McBrayne; see Brain.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Breheny family from?

You can see how Breheny families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Breheny family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Breheny families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 14 Breheny families living in Illinois. This was about 54% of all the recorded Breheny's in USA. Illinois had the highest population of Breheny families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Breheny surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Breheny ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Clerk and Waitress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Breheny. 20% of Breheny men worked as a Clerk and 43% of Breheny women worked as a Waitress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Breheny were Office Clerk and Packer.

View Census Data for Breheny | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    20%
  • Priest
    14%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Office Clerk
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Waitress
    43%
  • Clerk
    29%
  • Packer
    29%

What Breheny family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Breheny. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Breheny census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Breheny

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Breheny. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Breheny immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 370 military records available for the last name Breheny. For the veterans among your Breheny ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Breheny military records

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