Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “byrne” come from?

byrne (Old English) comes from Irish Ó Broin, from Irish bran, from English bran, from Middle English bran, from Old French bren, from Gaulish brennos, from Proto-Celtic bragnos, from Proto-Indo-European bʰreHg- — to smell, to have a strong odour.

byrne (Old English): corselet, coat of mail

Definitions

  1. corselet, coat of mail

Ancestry of “byrne”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1IrishÓ Broin—
2Irishbranraven; bream; Clipping of bran
3EnglishbranThe broken coat of the seed of wheat, rye, or...
4Middle Englishbran—
5Old Frenchbrenbran
6Gaulishbrennosrotten
7Proto-Celticbragnosrotten
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰreHg-to smell, to have a strong odour

Words derived from “byrne”

  • guþbyrne
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰreHg- →