Group Administrator: Dennis O.'Brien - Email: dennis@obrienclan.com
Project Surnames
Brian, Briant, Brien, Bryan, Bryant, Bryen, MacBrian, MacBrien, MacBryan, Obregon, O'Brian, Obrien, O'Brien, O'Bryan, O'Bryant, O'Bryen, Ubri, Ubry
Project Background
A surname of itself can often hide the real origin of a family. With religious changes and great movements of people, names can be changed to suit the circumstances families face. In Irish history this has been a come thread in regard to names and many people may find that by tracing the name the family now has, they hit brick walls, where the line ceases.
The name O'Brien has been around for nearly a thousand years, but from that name many other surnames have devolved. While some of these changes can be shown through the traditional paper traces, most have started in mystery.
Irish families often faced the hardships of famine and poverty and many children were often "adopted" out to allow for the survival of the group. Typically, if land was rented by Spinsters, then they might "adopt" a male child from another family, who would use their name as his.
Therefore DNA-testing gives us concrete evidence for identifying and separating family lines. Y-chromosome DNA testing is especially helpful because the male Y-chromosome is handed down, father to son, basically unchanged through the generations, except for rare mutations which, in themselves, can be helpful indicators of branching.
Accessibility to family DNA testing is doubtless the greatest technical advance in the history of genealogical research because -- at long, long last -- we have a tool to break down those brick walls!
So what are you waiting for?