Mac an Bhreitheamhan

Irish

Etymology

Literally, “son of the judge”

Proper noun

Mac an Bhreitheamhan m (genitive Mhic an Bhreitheamhan)

1. a male surname originating as an occupation, feminine equivalent Nic an Bhreitheamhan, equivalent to English Abraham, FitzAbraham, MacAbraham, MacAbrehan, Brehon, MacBrehon, Brohoon, or MacBrohoon

Usage notes

The English name Abraham is etymologically unrelated but became a common anglicization due to phonetic similarity.

Further reading

• MacLysaght, Edward (1985) “(Mac)Abraham”, in The Surnames of Ireland, sixth edition, Dublin: Irish Academic Press, →ISBN, page 1; reprinted 1999