Brady
An Irish surname most often derived from Ó Brádaigh, traditionally understood as a descendant of Brádaigh.
The #450 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,221 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The main origin of Brady is Irish: it comes from Gaelic Ó Brádaigh, meaning 'descendant of Brádaigh.' The personal name Brádaigh is usually treated as an old Irish byname, though the exact original sense is not completely certain. Some 19th-century English surname writers also tried to connect a small number of English Bradys with local place-names such as 'broad hey,' but for the great majority of bearers the Irish origin is the standard explanation.
History
Brady is a well-known Irish surname and became especially common in English-speaking countries through Irish migration. In the 19th century, writers on surnames already noted that many Bradys in American directories were of Irish background. The name remains strongly associated with Ireland, while also being widespread in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some early surname books explicitly warned that the many Bradys found in American city directories were mostly Irish in origin, not English local names.
From the historical record
“Philadelphia, i. Brady. — Local, ' or the broad hey,' from residence thereby, i. e. the broad enclosure : v. Hey. The preat number of Bradys in the American directories are moally of Irish origin.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances