By Jeannette Holland Austin
Allen
There are two origins of this name, one Scots Gaelic and ther other, French. Ailin meaning "little rock" is the root of the Scottish name (originally MacAllen). The first ones of Scottish origin came during the 15th century as hired soldiers and were imported into Donegal by the O. Donnells. Two-thirds of the Allens are found in Ulster, especially in the counties of Antrim and Armagh.
Armstrong
Armstrong originates along the western Scottish borders. The first known was Adam Armstrong who was pardoned in Carlisle in 1235 for causing the death of another man. They were numbered among the most notorious of the riding Broder clans which also included the Elliots, Grahams and Johnstons who were famous for their lawlessness.
Barrett
Barretts are found in County Cork and in the Mayo-Galway region. The Irish version is Baroid in the south and Baireid in the wesst.
Barry
The first Barry to arrive in Ireland was Robert de Barri, who was one of the original Norman knights who landed at Bannow in County Wexford in May of 1169.
Boyle
Boyle or O. Boyle is considered one of the fifty most common surnames in Ireland first originating from O. Baoghill which means "pledge." The family was powerful during the middle ages when they shared control of the northwest portion of the island with the O. Donnells and the O. Dohertys. In Ulster, they are descended from the Scottish Norman family of de Boyville.
Brady
Brady derives from the Irish Mac B radaigh and is very common in County Cavan.
Brennan
Brennan is common in Ulster. It derives from O. Braonain and Mac ranain. The McBrandin were chiefs of a vast territory to the east of County Roscommon.
Browne
Browne is considered one of the forty most common names in Ireland and derives itself rom the Old British Brun, referring to hair, complexion or clsothes, or from the Norman name Le Brun.
Burke
William Fitzadelm de Burgo was a Norman knight from Burgh in Suffolk who was in the invasion of 1171. He succeeded Strongbow as the Chief Governor, thus receiving the earldom of Ulster.
Butler
The family was of Norman origin and the name originally meant wine-steward. Later on, it meant chief servant of a household. The most prominent Butler family is descended from Theobald Fitzwalter who was created Chief Butler of Ireland by Henry II in 1177 and it was his descendants who became the Earls of Ormond in 1328.
Carroll
The most famous Carroll was Ely O. Carroll of county Offaly and parts of Tipperary who derived their name from Cearball, King of Ely, one of the leaders of the victorious native Irish army during the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
Casey
Casey, O. Casey and MacCasey is a common name in Ireland and means vigilant in war. In medieval times, the Dublin and Fermanagh Caseys were the most prominently known, but their power disappeared during the 17th century.
Clancy
The origin of the name is Mac Fhlannchaidh and originated in the counties of Clare and Leitrim. Willie Clancy who died in 1973 was world-famous as a uilleann piper and folklorist from county Clare.
ClarkeClarke, a common surname throughout the United Kingdom, meant clergyman. In Ireland this became cleireach and was the root of the surname O. Cleireigh.
Collins
Collins is a common English surname derived from a diminutive of Nicholas. The presence of the name is numerous in Cork and Limberick.
Cronin
A Irish surname, O. Croinin, from a diminutive of Cron. The original of the family is Cork, and more particularly west of the county. In the Gaelic genealogies of this tribe, the Cronins are recorded as hereditary owners of the territory west of the present-day Clonakilty.
Dempsey
The original name is O. Diomasaigh, meaning proud. The name was occasionallly anglicised as "Proudman". O. Diomasaigh originated in the territory of Clanmalier on the borders of counties Laois and Offaly.
Dillon
Dillon may be of Gaelic or Norman origin. The ancestor of the Norman family in Ireland was Sir Henry de Leon who arrived in 1185 and was granted estates in the counties of Longford and Westmeath. The French army had "Dillons Regiment", and after the British fought the War of Independence with America, many members of this regiment immigrated to America.
Donnelly
The original ancestor was Donnail O. Neill who died in 876 who was actually a descendant of Eoghan, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, the fifth-centry king who supposedly kidnapped St. Patrick to Ireland.
Duggan
The name of O. Dubhagdin was anglicized as Duggan. They resided near Fermony in north Cork and were part of the fir Maighe tribe. John O. Dugan who died in 1372 was chief pot of the O. Kellys and co-author of Topographical Poems, a book which described Ireland in the 12th century>
Farrell
The Irisn name originated from Fearghail, meaning a man of valour. The original Fearghal or Fergal fromm whom the family claim descent was killed at Clontarg in 1014.
Fitzgerald
The name is Norman and German. The family traces their origin to Walter FitzOther, keeper of Windsor forest during the 11th century. Walter had a son called Gerald who was constable of Pembroke Castle in Wales and the son of Gerald accompanied Strongbow in the invasion of Ireland and adopted the name Fitzgerald.
O. Flannagain is a diminutive of Flann, meaning red and ruddy. The family is found in counties Roscommon, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Offaly.
Ford
People with this surname are know to have lived near a ford in Ireland.
Gallagher
O.Gallagher claims descent from Conall Gulban, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, the 5th century monarch who was supposingly responsible for kidnapping St. Patrick to Ireland.
GriffinThe Irish Griffin family is descended from O. Griobhtha and are found in counties Kerry and Clare.
Hegarty
The surname in Ireland is O. hEigceartaigh meaning unjust. Its origin was in the counties of Derry and Donegal.
Hennesy
The original name was O. hAonghasa, anglicized to Angus, one of the pre-Christian Celtic gods. The family seat was county Offaly and later Clare and Tipperary. Richard Hennesy (1720-1800) fought with Dillons Brigade in the French Army and founded the famous brandy distillary in 1765.
Hickey
The Hickeys were part of the tribal grouping of Dal gCais which produced Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland who defeated the Vikings in 1014. The territory was county Clare and north Tipperary.
Hogan
The Irish version of the name is O. hOgain from the original Ogan from whom the family claim descent during the 10th century. The O. Hogans were in Ardcrony near the town of Nenagh in north Tipperary.
Joyce
Joyce takes it name from the Breton personal name of Iodoc which was adopted by the Normans as Josse. Thomas de Joise was the first bearer of the name in Ireland and was of Norman Welsh extraction. He married a daughter of the O. Brien Princes of Thurond in 1283 and settled west of Connacht near the borders of Mayo and Galway.
Kane
Kane and O. Kane names were anglicised versions of the Irish O. Cathain and are found in Ulster.
Kavanagh
Variants of the name are Cavanagh and Cavanaugh. The name was first used in the 12th century by Donal, the illegitimate son of Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster and was known as Donal Caomhanach.
Keating
Keating is an old English surname derived from Cyting. In Ireland, it is known to be of Norman origin. The family arrived with the Cambro-Norman invaders during the 12th century and settled in south Leinster and county Wexford. Goeffrey Keating, the poet and historian of the 17th century, wrote Foras Feasa ar Eirinn, a narrative history of the country defending it against the accounts of foreign writers.
Kelly
The name is from the Irish name of O. Ceallaigh whose families resided in the counties of Meath, North Wicklow, Antrim-Derry area, Sligo, Galway and Laois.
Leary
Leary ad O. Leary derive from the original Irish name of Laoghaire and are found in County Cork, especially along the rock sea-coast, between Roscarbery and Glandore.
Lyons
The name is a very common one in Ireland today. It derives from the place known as Lyon-law-Foret in Normandy.
MacBride
The origin of the name is Mac Giolla Bhrighde. The family was located in the county Donegal in Raymunterdoney but went to county Down in early times.
MacCarthy
The first Carthach from whom the surname is taken was King of Cashel ca 1040 and part of a dynasty claiming descent from Eoghan, one of the sons of Oiloll Ollum, the semi-legendary king of Munster.
MacCullagh
The name is numerous in Ulster and the original Irish was Mac Con Uladh, generally anglicised as MacCullagh.
MacDermot
The name comes from the Irish name of Mac Diarmada. The individual from whom the name is taken lived during the 12th century and was a direct descendant of Maolruanaidh Mor, the brother of Conor, King of Connacht, and ancestors of the O. Connors.
MacDonald
The family in Ireland descend from the Scottish clan, Donald of Islay, one of the sons of Somhairle, Lord of Argyle. During the 15th century, it was a powerful clan in Scotland. During the 18th century, when an influx into the province of settlers bearing the name, the Highland clans were forced to migrate to Ireland.
MacDonnell
This name comes from Mac Domhnaill and from Ulster and the old kingdom of Thomond in the region of Clare and Limerick.
MacGillycuddy
Carthach was the 17th century founder of the monastic settlement of Lismore in county Waterford. He was a native of Kerry and when his fellow Kerryman Ailinn O. Sullivan became bishop of the diocese of Linsmore in the 13th century, he initiated the practice of the O. SUllivans paying devotion to this saint.
MacManus
An anglicisation of the Irish Mac Maghnais (from the Norse name of Magnus). In Fermanagh the family was second in power to the Maguires and resided on the island of Ballymaguire on Lough Erne where they controlled the shipping and fishing.
Maguire
The name comes from the Mac Mag Uidhir and is quite common throughout Ireland. At the beginning of the 14th century there were fifteen Maguire chieftans in county Fermanagh.
Monaghan
Monaghan is the English version of the Irish name O. Manachdin commonly used in Mayo, Galway and County Fermanagh.
Morgan
Morgan is an old Welsh name of morcant. It is commonly used in Connacht ad Leinster, but mostly in Ulster.
Mulligan
The name comes from O. Maolagain. During the Middle Ages they family were rulers of the territory of Tir MacCarthdain in the baronies of Boylagh and Raphoe in County Donegal.
Murphy
Murphy is the anglicised version of two Irish surnames, O. Murchadha and Mac Murchadha from Ulster. The Ulster families were known as Murphys or MacMurphys and were based in county Tyrone.
Murray
The name Murry or MacMurray derives from Moray in the northeast of Ireland. The earliest known ancestor was Hugh Freskin, a Flemish settler who acquired large land grants of land in Morayshire in 1130. Thus, his ancestors took their name from the land (Moray).
O.Brian
Yhe name is from O. Briain and the family is believed to have been a descendant of Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland in 1002 and victor of the battle of Clontarf in 1014. The first to use the name O. Brien was Donogh Cairbre O. Brien, son of the King of Munster, Donal Mor.
O. Connell
Name comes from O. Conaill, descendant of Conall. O. Connell arose separately as a surname in Connacht, Ulster and Munster.
O. Connor
A variant of the names Connor, Conner, Conners etc. It originated from Conchobhair. The families were in Offaly, Corcomroe and County Derry.
O. Donoghue
The name is from O. Donnchadha, meaning descendant of the brown-haired or brown-complexioned man. The family is found in Galway, Roscommon, Cork, Tipperary and Cavan and is anglicised to Donohoe.
O. Grady
The name comes from O. Graddaigh meaning noble. It originated in the county Clare from the tribal group Dal gCais who claim descent from Cas, a son of Oiloll Ollum, the semi-legendary third century king of Munster.
O. Hara
O. Hara is a phonetic anglicisation of O. hEaghra, and the family descends from Eaghra, lord of Luighne in county Sligo. This lord died in 976. The genealogies reflect that he was part of the family of Oiloll Ollum, king of Munster.
O. KeefeO. Keeffe is the anglicised version of O. Caomh of the 11th century who descend from Art, King of Munster from 742 to 762. Their territory was County Cork.
O. Toole
The name derives itself from O. Tuathail and the families were in south Ulster, Mayo and Kildare. The surname was taken from Tuathal, King of Leinster who died ca 958.
Patterson The nae is thought to be common only in Ulster, although it is found throughout Ireland. Originally, it was a Lowland Scottish name.
Regan
Variants of the name are Reagan and O. Reagan and is found in the Meath/Dublin region. It was borne by one of the Four Tribes of Tara where the descendants are still found.
Roche
Variants of the name are Roach and Roch, and it is of Norman origin. Richard FitzGodebert de la Roche first adopted the surname after his place of origin in Wales, Rhos in Pembrokeshire.
Scott
Scott is a common surname in Ireland, particularly in Ulster. Members of the family settled in Fermanagh during the 17th century after their power was broken by James II.
Sheehan
The name is anglicised from O. Siodhachain and is found in the counties of Limerick and Clare.
SweeneyThe name derives from Mac Suibhne and a Scottish chief based in Argyle ca 1200. These people were of mixed Viking and Irish descent.
Tobin
Tobin descends from Toibin which is a Gaelicised version of the Norman St. Aubin after the place of the same name in Brittany. The family came to Ireland after the Norman invasion and during the 13th century established itself in the counties of Kilkenny and Tipperary.
Ward
A common and widespread name throughout Ireland, England and Wales. Ward in Ireland is the anglicisation of Ma an Bhaird and the families are located in Ballinasloe in county Galway.