Meanings
plural Brennans · alternative Branon
- A surname from Irish.
1 more example
Another friend was present while I was there, veteran criminal defense attorney William J. Brennan, jealously guarding an SUV full of memorabilia he’d purchased, including a Rizzo fedora and walking stick, the former of which he told me he hoped Rizzo was wearing during the famous “crumb bum” exchange with television reporter Stan Bohrman.
2019 January 3, Michael Smerconish, “The Nixon letter I can’t forget”, in CNN, archived from the original on 23 Oct 2021 - A male given name transferred from the surname, of mostly American usage.
- A male given name, variant of Brendan.
Origin
- IrishÓ Branáin“descendant of Branán”
- IrishÓ Braonáin“descendant of Braonán”
- EnglishBrennan
From Irish Ó Braonáin (“descendant of Braonán”), a diminutive of braon (“moisture, drop”). Alternatively, from Irish Ó Branáin (“descendant of Branán”), a diminutive of bran (“raven”).
More words from Irish
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Brennan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brennan
“Brennan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brennan. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Brennan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Brennan.
Source: Brennan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.