O'Byrne Family Crest Plaque

Byrne is the seventh most common name in Ireland and it means ‘raven’. They have a long history of fighting for Irish freedom and have been pioneers in the world of religion, medicine and police work. Byrnes were originally called O’Byrne. The Gaelic equivalent of O’Byrne was O’Broin which means ‘Descended from Branach’. Branach was known the son of Maolmordha, who was King of Leinster in the 11th century. Branach means ‘raven’ which is where the Byrne’s nickname is from. History of the Irish name Byrne. Image copyright Ireland CallingThe motto on the Byrne family crest states ‘Certavi et Vici’ which means ‘I have fought and conquered’. Arrived in Wicklow They originally ruled what is now Co Kildare but fled to the East during the Norman invasion and stayed in the mountains in Co Wicklow. Together with the O’Toole clan they protected Wicklow against Norman or English invasion for centuries. They eventually spread to Co Dublin and today, most Byrnes will have originated in one of those two counties. The ‘O’ prefix to the name would have been dropped in the early 18th century when English rule meant it was a disadvantage to have an Irish sounding name.