NameCensus.

UK surname

Breslin

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Breasláin, meaning "descendant of Breislean," a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Breslin surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,655, ranked #3,769, up from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Drumchapel North and Hillhead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Breslin is 1,672 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1302.5%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

1,655

2016, ranked #3,769

Peak year

2010

1,672 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Breslin had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,655 in 2016, ranked #3,769.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 276 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Breslin surname distribution map

The map shows where the Breslin surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Breslin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Breslin over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 18 #30,094
1861 historical 41 #28,839
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 200 #14,913
1901 historical 276 #12,315
1911 historical 112 #21,274
1997 modern 1,483 #3,947
1998 modern 1,575 #3,886
1999 modern 1,597 #3,884
2000 modern 1,608 #3,836
2001 modern 1,565 #3,860
2002 modern 1,602 #3,845
2003 modern 1,586 #3,798
2004 modern 1,569 #3,845
2005 modern 1,565 #3,810
2006 modern 1,543 #3,850
2007 modern 1,564 #3,835
2008 modern 1,584 #3,824
2009 modern 1,608 #3,861
2010 modern 1,672 #3,815
2011 modern 1,663 #3,788
2012 modern 1,647 #3,744
2013 modern 1,665 #3,770
2014 modern 1,669 #3,786
2015 modern 1,647 #3,789
2016 modern 1,655 #3,769

Geography

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Where Breslins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Drumchapel North, Hillhead, Laurieston and Tradeston and Hammersmith and Fulham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bothwell Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 045 Kirklees
2 Drumchapel North Glasgow City
3 Hillhead Glasgow City
4 Laurieston and Tradeston Glasgow City
5 Hammersmith and Fulham 009 Hammersmith and Fulham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Breslin

These lists show first names that appear often with the Breslin surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Breslin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Breslin, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Breslin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Breslin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Breslin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Breslin is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Breslin falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Breslin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Breslin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Breslin

The surname Breslin is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'Brasalain", meaning "descendant of Brasalan". The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th century in County Kilkenny, Ireland.

The Breslin name is thought to be associated with the ancient Irish clan of O'Brassil, who were lords of the territory of Fassadinin, located in what is now County Kilkenny. The clan's ancestral home was the town of Fassadinin, and the name O'Brassil is derived from the Irish words "bras" meaning "attack" or "onset" and "daine" meaning "men".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Breslin name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention an individual named Domhnall O'Brasalain who died in 1348.

Another notable early record of the name is found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of public records from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. These records mention a John O'Brassill who was pardoned by Queen Elizabeth I in 1588.

Prominent individuals with the Breslin surname throughout history include:

1. Terence Breslin (1940-2018), an Irish actor best known for his roles in films such as "The Commitments" and "The Field".

2. Patrick Breslin (1888-1937), an American writer and journalist who covered World War I and the Mexican Revolution.

3. James E. Breslin (1897-1967), an American Catholic prelate who served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn from 1954 to 1967.

4. Jimmy Breslin (1928-2017), an American journalist and author who won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1986.

5. Dermot Breslin (1969-present), an Irish singer and musician who has performed with the band The Troubles.

The Breslin name has also been associated with various place names, such as Breslin Castle, a medieval fortification located in County Kilkenny, Ireland, and Breslin's Folly, a historic building in New York City named after its owner, a man named Breslin.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Breslin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Breslin surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 26 Breslins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.90x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 26 1.90x
Lanarkshire 22 5.91x
Midlothian 15 9.73x
Northumberland 13 7.59x
Aberdeenshire 10 9.38x
Yorkshire 7 0.61x
Angus 6 5.63x
Clackmannanshire 4 42.06x
Dunbartonshire 4 12.93x
Berwickshire 3 21.52x
Montgomeryshire 2 7.58x
Durham 1 0.29x
Hampshire 1 0.42x
Middlesex 1 0.09x
Renfrewshire 1 1.12x
Surrey 1 0.18x
Warwickshire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 13 Breslins recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.67x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 13 19.67x
Penicuik 10 476.19x
Rumworth 9 461.54x
Wallsend 7 128.91x
Aberdeen Old Machar 6 26.95x
Byker 6 70.84x
Kirkdale 6 26.11x
Liff Benvie 6 37.06x
Salford 5 12.45x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 20.06x
Clackmannan 4 222.22x
Dumbarton 4 92.81x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 6.45x
Northowram 4 50.00x
Barony 3 3.18x
Govan 3 3.26x
Leeds 3 4.66x
Nenthorn 3 1666.67x
Llandrinio 2 625.00x
Maryhill 2 27.43x
Windle 2 26.04x
Birmingham 1 1.03x
Blackburn 1 2.75x
Broughton In Salford 1 8.01x
Dalziel 1 25.00x
Farnborough 1 40.32x
Hulme 1 3.51x
Islington London 1 0.90x
Lambeth 1 1.00x
Lasswade 1 28.33x
Liverpool 1 1.21x
Sunderland 1 16.53x
West Greenock 1 6.25x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Breslin surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 5
Ellen 4
Catherine 3
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Allice 1
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Deborah 1
Grace 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Ledoie 1
Maryanne 1
Roseanne 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Breslin surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 5
James 3
Thomas 3
William 3
Michael 2
Dennis 1
George 1
Patrick 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Edward 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Breslin households.

FAQ

Breslin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Breslin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Breslin surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Breslin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,655 in 2016. That gives Breslin a modern rank of #3,769.

What does the Breslin surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Breasláin, meaning "descendant of Breislean," a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Breslin map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Breslin bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.