O'Bryan~Kavinsky

Allied Families

O'Brien is in Irish O Briain, from the personal name Brian. The meaning of this is problematic. It may come from bran, meaning "raven", or, more likely, from Brion, a borrowing from the Celtic ancestor of the Welsh which contains the element bre-, meaning "hill" or "high place". By association, the name would then mean "lofty' or "eminent". Whatever the initial meaning of the word, the historic origin of the surname containing it is clear. It simply denotes a descendant of Brian Boramha Boru, "Brian of the Tributes", High King of Ireland in 1002, and victor at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Brian was member of the relatively obscure Ui Toirdealbhaigh, part of the Dal gCais tribal grouping based in the Clare/Limerick area. The O'Brien name will be forever linked with the town of Killaloe because it was there that Brian Boru had his palace of Kincora, "Ceann Cora'dh". He was the grandson of Lorcan and the son of MacCinneide (Kennedy and his wife Bebinn). Their home was near the mountain called Slieve Beragh, where the guardian spirit of his tribe, the banshee Arval was said to watch over them from her lofty brooding crag.. Lough Derg was nearby as was the River Shannon. He was educated at Clonmacois. In 959, his father was crowned king on the Rock of Cashel.

The traditional inauguration site of the, O'Briens is outside the village of Quin at a place called Magh Adhair. All that remains is a large mound of earth but to the discerning eye of the historian or genealogist traces of former glory can still be seen.

Having secured control of the Dal gCais in 976, Brian defeated and killed the Eoghanacht king of Munster two years later, and proceeded to wage deadly war against the kingdoms of Connacht, Meath, Leinster and Breifne. Eventually he secured submission (and tributes) from all but the northern Ui Neill, the Leinsterman and the Vikings. His victory at Clontarf united all of Ireland, nominally at least, under a single leader, though Brian himself was slain. The first individual clearly to use O'Brien as a genuinely hereditary surname was Donogh Cairbre O'Brien, son of the king of Munster, Donal Mor. His descendants split into a number of branches, including the O'Briens of Aherlow, the O'Briens of Waterford, the O'Briens of Arra in north Tipperary, and the O'Briens of Limerick, where the surname is perpetuated in the name of the barony of Pubblebrien.

Sometime between 1206 and 1216 Donnchadha Cairbreach O'Brien established his capital in Ennis - now the principal town in Clare. In 1247 this same O'Brien gave shelter to some wandering friars and they proceeded over the years to build the magnificent Ennis Abbey (now a ruin).

The Inchiquin Tomb here houses the bodies of King Turlough O'Brien who died in 1306, Murrough who died in 1551 and the later Barons of Inchiquin. In 1460 Bishop Donnchadha O'Brien of Killaloe (now the cathedral town of Clare) was killed here by Brian O'Brien.

The O'Briens were of the clan of Dal gCais as were many other powerful Claremen. Originally to be a Dalcassian meant that you came from the area around the border of Clare and Tipperary but nowadays it is used to cover all of County Clare.

The O'Brien name is also famous for its association with Maire Rua McMahon who first married a Neylon of Dysert O'Dea and on his death married Conor O'Brien who was killed by Parliamentary forces in 1651. This Maire Rua O'Brien is the stuff of legends as she is remembered in the countryside for her outstanding courage and also for her temper. She is reputed to have hung her maidservants by the hair and her menservants by the neck from the corbels of her castle. She always rode a black stallion who objected to anyone else on his back. Legend says that Maria Rua used to get rid of unwanted suitors by letting them ride the horse at great speed to the 700 foot high Cliffs of Moher, here the horse would stop suddenly and you can guess the rest. Maria Rua's ghost is supposed to be imprisoned in a hollow tree on the avenue of Carnelly House in Clarecastle. Visit there on a windy night if you dare!

From the "Annals of the Four Masters"

Milesius of Spain flourished about 1700 BC according to the "Annals". Some give Milesius date between 1000 and 1200 BC.

The line extends from Milesius through his son Heber.

Then from Eoghan Taighlech, also known as 'Owen, the Splendid' or Mogh Nuadhat. This Eoghan of the line of Heber founded the ancient Irish kingdom called "Leah Mogh" which means "Mogh's Half".

King Oillioll Olum, son of Eoghan Taighlech. Ollioll reigned as king of the province of Munster in the third century and was Munster's first absolute king. He died in 234.

Cormac Cas, son of king Ollioll Olum was killed in battle in 254 AD.

Further more this surname of O'BRYAN was a baptismal name 'the son of Bryant'. While O'BRYAN was occasionally and confusedly adopted by descendants of the O'Briens, (above paragraphs) it is the distinct surname of a Leinster family of Anlgo-Norman descent, long established in that province and particularly in County Kilkenny.

Early records of the name mention Radulphus filus Brien, listed as a tenant in the Domesday Book of 1086 and Bennett Brien, 1166 County Norfolk. Briendeus de Scal was documented in London in 1114, and Ralph Brien apppears in Yorkshire in 1207. Benet Bryan was recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, and Edward Bryant appears in County Lancashire in 1400. Later instances of the name include John Briand who married Barbara Backhouse at St. George's,

Hanover Square, London

in 1772. Ireland is one of the earliest sources of the development of patronymic names in northern Europe. Irish Clan or bynames can be traced back to the 4th century B.C. and Mac (son of) and O (grandson or ancestor of) evolved from this base, the original literal meaning of which has been lost due to the absence of written records and linguistic ambivalences which subtly but inexorably became adopted through usage. Genealogists and lexographers accept that the patronymic base does not refer to a location, quite the contrary.

The use of the prefix 'Bally' (town of) attaching to the base name, identifying the location. The base root was also adopted by people residing in the demographic area without a common ancestor. These groups called 'Septs' were specially prevalent in Ireland. The first Normans arrived in Ireland in the 12th and 13th centuries to form an alliance with the King of Leinster. Under Elizabeth I in the 16th century, settlers from England established themselves around Dublin, then under English control and Presbyterian Scots emigrated to Ulster, introducing English and Scottish roots. The American poet William Cullen Bryant (1794-1887) came of a New England family, being descended from Stephen Bryant, who had settled in Plymouth Colony in the year 1632. (a brief by Tim O'Bryan)

Tropeck-

The Tropecks came from a village called Rabcice situated very close to the Polish border and some 4 miles north from small town Namestov, North Slovakia, in the Orava Region.

Rabcice originally spelled (Rabcsicze) in its Hungarian form, pronounced (ROB-chee-tseh),was in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, in Arva megye (county), now Orava a dual monarchy in Central Europe from 1867 to 1918, dissolved at the end of World War I.

Some of the Tropecks have been known to come from Poland and Austria. With these Tropecks coming from different countrys; take in mind that there were territory changes in the time period. According to my research I came across one other way to spell Tropeck and that is Tropek, which is just another name change, possible due to family choice. But more than likely when our ancestors went through Ellis Island, they changed the spelling, probably to make the name look more American, sometime after they immigrated.

On the journey to America, the Tropecks settled in places like Pennsylvania, New York, and Illinois. Generations later, the name carries on and with this very short, but brief history lesson that is sure to grow with more and more research. (a brief by Tim O'Bryan)

Zafeya - Currently the earliest this surname in this family tree and site goes back is as far as March 20, 1874, Were Albert Zafeya was born. He was born under the spelling Zaffey and was born I Poland, He came to the United States in 1898, and was a coal miner, according U.S. census records and other documents state that his last name is spelled Zahveja Now as for this spelling, Zafey is spelled many different ways as you already read, such as Zachveja and other ways not mentioned in the tree. Presently there are 3 generations under Albert. Further research is in progress. Come back soon for an update.

Kavinsky- (needs history) Volunteer wanted, please contact me.

Kopnicky- (needs history) Volunteer wanted, please contact me.

Madura- (needs history) Volunteer wanted, please contact me.

Lewis- (needs history) Volunteer wanted, please contact me.

Patterson- (needs history) Volunteer wanted, please contact me.

Chapley- (needs history) Volunteer wanted, please contact me.

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Koziol- Carbon Koziol: The Koziol Family History

Thompson- (needs history) Volunteer wanted, please contact me.

Bell- (needs history) Volunteer wanted, please contact me.

-The information above is derived from my own research, family members and from other sources, used with permission and is meant for historical or genealogical research only.