Brosnan - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Brosnacháin
Meaning: from the river Brosna
Traditional stronghold: Kerry
Pronunciation: BROSS-nan; Irish Ó Brosnacháin: oh BRUSS-nuh-khawn
History of the Brosnan name
Brosnan, Ó Brosnacháin, is one of the few Irish surnames derived from a place: it denotes a family from Brosna, the village and river country of northeast Kerry. It is among the most intensely local of all Irish names; even today the great majority of Brosnans in Ireland are found in Kerry and adjoining parts of Cork and Limerick. In America the name commonly became Bresnahan or Brosnahan, spellings that preserve an older pronunciation. Kerry Brosnans have left their mark on everything from football to global business, and the name's most famous bearer carried it to Hollywood.
Variants: Brosnahan · Bresnahan · Brosnihan
Famous bearers of the name
- Pierce Brosnan - Drogheda-born, Navan-raised actor who played James Bond in four films.
- Denis Brosnan - Founding chief executive who built Kerry Group into a global food giant.
- Con Brosnan - Kerry footballer and Free State officer famed for bridging Civil War divides in the GAA.
- Rachel Brosnahan - Emmy-winning American actress (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) bearing the American spelling.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Sullivan · O'Connor · McCarthy · O'Connell · Fitzgerald · O'Shea · Griffin · Kelleher