An Irish surname, Breen comes from the Gaelic names of Mac Braoin and O’Braoin. The term ‘braori’ refers to a drop of moisture. Variations in spelling Breen include O’Braoin, Bruen, McBreen, Breane, Breene, Brean and Brawney. The earliest Irish settlement for the Breen name was in County Kilkenny. In England Breen families live in Lancashire, Yorkshire counties and in the city of London chiefly. In Scotland Breen families are centered in Lanarkshire county. From Ireland many Breen families came to Massachusetts, Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania in the late 1700s and into the 1800s. Settling in other portions of the United States, many Breen families live in California, Illinois and Ohio. Famous: Stephen Paul Breen (a cartoonist who twice won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning), George Breen (a champion freestyle swimmer, a winner Olympic swimmer), Joseph M. Breen (a champion football player of Canada) and Gary Breen (a professional footballer from Ireland).