Brien Surname Meaning & Coat of Arms

Behind the Brien surname stands O'Brien, an Irish name that clerks and families wrote in more than one way.

Before spelling was fixed, O'Brien was also written Brien. Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the O'Brien surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Want more than a summary? See the Brien family name pack.