In 1591 in Coppingerstown, Co. Cork, we find William McQuynegan alias Wiliam negeaghy ( of the wind). Note: not all of the anglicized names are Irish in origin. Clan Campbell is a prolific and historically influential Highland Scottish clan with many branches, claiming descent from Gille Easpaig Caim beul Duibhne, who lived in the early 13th century. Additionally, Ireland had its own religion, law code, alphabet, and even a style of dress. So it comes as no surprise that no matter where you go, you tend to run into classic Irish names. Some of these may be funny last names, but there were people who used these names in past. Patterson is of English origin, but in Co. Galway, Ireland, it has been commonly adopted for Irish Caisn descendant of the little curly-headed one, which was more regularly anglicised as Cussen or Cussane. Famous Sheehans include bass guitarist Billy Sheehan and American writer Susan Sheehan. Scottish poet and lyricist Robbie Burns is one of the most well-known people called Burns. Walsh is a common Irish surname, meaning Briton or foreigner, literally Welshman, taken to Ireland by British (Welsh, Cornish and Cumbrian) soldiers during and after the Norman invasion of Ireland. One of the most notable people with the surname Dunne is Irish entrepreneur and former director of Dunnes Stores Ben Dunne. The O Byrne ( Broin) family originally came from Kildare, until the Anglo-Normans arrived and they were driven south to the Wicklow mountains. Walsh is the most common surname in Mayo. Anyway, it's a small village in County Louth and only mildly rude so Wexford shouldn't be worried. Edevane : It is a very rare surname that, apparently, originated in Wales. The apostrophe that usually follows the O actually comes from a misunderstanding by English-speaking clerks in Elizabethan time, who interpreted it as a form of the word "of." Brown. If you're Irish, you'll love the Irish surname generator. The Gaelic name Fearghas, or Fergus in English, means 'man of vigour'. Barry Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. The Burkes have been in Ireland since the 12th century, settling mainly in the province of Connacht. Cullen O'Shea McLoughlin Egan Browne Fox Kennedy McGrath Curran Nolan Keogh Power McCormack Ward Sweeney O'Leary Keane Hennessy Donnelly Carey Moore Maher Moloney O'Toole Gallagher Here are the top 100 Irish surnames you're bound to experience at least once in your life! ODwyer is a popular Irish name in Australia with cricketer Edmund Thomas ODwyer and National Rugby League player Luke ODwyer both having the name. Hickey is the anglicised form of hceadh descendant of cidhe, a byname meaning doctor, healer. O'Sullivan 4. We love it for Irish Surname content, blogs and articles. Currently, very few people carry this last name. 3. Bowling, Name Ideas 30+ Incredibly Funny Irish Pictures. Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. 29-3-2017, retrieved from houseofnames.com. Must be cold there. Some of the funnies Irish pictures you will see online. Irish TV personality Louis Walsh, singer and Girls Aloud member Kimberley Walsh, and American actress Kate Walsh are three famous people with the surname Walsh. Famous people with the surname OBrien include comedian Conan OBrien, actor Dylan OBrien, and guitarist Pat OBrien. Beaufoy : Is a surname that comes from the name Buffy, that is the diminutive of Elizabeth. The Lynch families ( Loingsigh in Irish) were originally settled in Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Sligo, and Westmeath, where the Lynch surname is most common. Pronounced: Key-va. Kelly families of Irish origin come primarily from Derry, Galway, Kildare, Leitrim, Leix, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, and Wicklow. We would love to hear from you -please send us a note here and let us know how we are doing. ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/common-surnames-of-ireland-1420790. Maudlintown: Where all the people walk around being wildly self-pitying and bursting into tears all day. Fernsby : This surname means"dwelling near the ferns". One of Ireland's leading aristocratic families, the O Briens are primarily from Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford. One of the oldest surnames in Ireland, the O Clery surname (anglicized to Clarke) is most prevalent in Cavan. The common Irish surname Collins originated in Limerick, though after the Norman invasion they fled to Cork. It's not very difficult we can either go the funny way or the simple and cute way when coming up with Irish Last Names. Coalspit: Eh, gross. Adolphson : Means"son of Adolphus". This is why it is very common to see prefixes attached to Irish surnames. Our mission is to inspire more people to visit Ireland and to experience some of the fantastic things this island has to offer. This famous surname is one of the most ancient names of Ireland. Chadburn : Means"wild or indomitable stream". Dunne is the most common surname in Laois, where the family originated. Actress Kristen Bell is one of the most famous people with this name. Famous Flynns include actors Errol Flynn and Brandon Flynn. The Smiths, both English and Irish, are primarily from Antrim, Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, and Sligo. In general, Catholics spell the name with two ns, while Protestants spell it with one. The O Boyles were chieftains in Donegal, ruling west Ulster with the O Donnells and the O Doughertys. Located off the western shores of Great Britain, the small island nation packs quite a punch when it comes to its heritage. Many people think that they can identify an Irish last name simply by an "O'" or a "Mc" at the start of it. As a name came to England in the twelfth century and has been altering through time and also adopting as a surname. everybody! Ryan 9. It seems likely that the name is related to MacQuaid. Mc joined with Mac so McMahon will appear as MacMahon. Copyright 2019 - 2023 Ireland Before You Die | Trading under, TOP 100 Irish surnames / last names (info & facts). I've been using it for hours and I finally came up with a unique last name for one of my characters. Sometimes modified to O'Donnelly. Angus This Irish surname is derived from the word 'Aonghus' and means 'one strength.' 3. English journalist, author, and broadcaster Caitlin Moran is one of the most famous people called Moran. Quinn 20. Hit generate to generate a random Irish Surname. During the British colonization of Ireland, last names were changed to sound more Anglican. Loser - Loser is a Saxon surname derived from the Old English Loesar or Lesar, which is derived from Lazarus. O'Neill 11. "The 50 Most Common Irish Surnames." The Irish surname Floinn is prevalent in the province of Ulster. Many of these early Irish surnames began as patronyms to identify a son separately from his father or a grandson from his grandfather. Famous people with this surname include singers James Brown and Chris Brown. For Girls Famous people with the surname Connolly include comedian Billy Connolly and musician Brian Connolly. Australian actor Jason Donovan is one of the most famous people with the surname Donovan. Irish last names are also often based on physical characteristics, clan names, and the region from which the family hailed. Ryan is an English-language male given name of Irish origin. Ireland Before You Die (IB4UD) is the biggest Irish travel and culture website. (2016). Or at least a name. De Burgh is one of the most important and popular Hiberno-Norman names. It was written in the year 916 A.D. that the lord of Aidhne, Tigherneach Ua Cleirigh, died in County Galway. Copyright 2019 - 2023 Ireland Before You Die | Trading under, Top 12 Most Stereotypical Irish Surnames EVER, 5 Amazing Things To Do In Ireland AFTER you die, 8 Adventure Activities You Need To Try In Ireland, Hell never get older Father Ted star Dermot Morgans son on 25, Three Belfast men set sights on rowing world records, Ireland ranked one of the safest countries in Europe, Irish Celtic FEMALE NAMES: the 20 best, with meanings, New true-crime documentary exposes the many lies and lives of GPO girl, Country Clare hotel voted one of the most romantic in the world. While the meaning of the majority of Irish names is well-known, the dictionary provides early-bearer evidence, for the first time, for all of these names. The familiar O means grandson, therefore OBrien means Grandson of OBrien. Do you have some funny last names to add to the list? Sallow : Is a surname that relates to a family that lived near a tree of a willow tree during the Middle Ages . Many Irish surnames we are familiar with that begin with Mc or Mac are patronyms; Mc and Mac stand for son, so Mc Doyle would mean Son of Doyle. There are a lot of different options you can choose from . Please enter the word that you see below. E. Emily Goss. Be creative! Caoimhe. Hockey, Funny Team Names (2017). One of the most famous Wilsons is actor Owen Wilson, as well as 28th president of the United States Woodrow Wilson. Famous people bearing this last name include actor Robert Buckley and musician Jeff Buckley. Even the former Xena, Warrior Princess Lucy Lawless has Irish roots - in Quilty, Co Clare. Find lyrics and favorite performances h. Baal These aren't your standard Irish last names. The Irish names were mistakenly associated with the word cosn path and were then re-associated with surnames such as Patterson and Pattison, which bear no relationship whatsoever to the Irish name. Where can I learn more about Irish names? Horse and Jockey: Situated in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, no one knows why this village is called Horse and Jockey, but best guess is it was named after a pub. Here are 12 examples of Irish surnames and where they originate from courtesy of the Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland: Hickey Hickey is the anglicised form of hceadh 'descendant of cidhe, a byname meaning 'doctor, healer'. For those of you wondering which Irish family names are most-popular today, your wait is finally over! Whereas once the Irish people mainly spoke Irish (Gaelic/Gaeilge) the indigenous language English is now the primary language. Descendants of the O Conor kings of Connacht, the Reillys are primarily from Cavan, Cork, Longford, and Meath. What's Your Favorite Funny Last Name? For example, Murphy, Byrne, and O'Brien are a few of the oldest and most common surnames in Ireland. 22. For more surnames inspiration, to help you in your search, take a look at Surnames Starting With J and Surnames Starting With D. Popular Last Names That Start With O Or are you just looking to see what your last name could be if your ancestors came from Ireland? Murray The Murray surname is especially prolific in Donegal. Famous Fitzgeralds include singer Ella Fitzgerald and writer F. Scott Fizgerald. The name means sea-battler. She has travelled Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Australia and still claims that wanderlust tempts her daily. Many of them are just names that you would find in Ireland. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company. Nobber: County Meath. Walking Originally the Clan Doyle, derived from the pre 10th century Gaelic Dhubh-ghall (The dark stranger) was found mostly in the counties of South-East Leinster, (Wicklow, Wexford and Carlow) and surprisingly it largely remains so today, the name being rare in other regions. Famous Murrays include tennis player Andy Murray and actor Bill Murray. Ahearn Ahearn is the anglicized form of ' hEachthighearna' meaning 'descendant of Eichthighearn.' The name Eichthighearn is derived from a Gaelic word and refers to 'Horse Lord.' 2. And it's no, nay, never. No nay never no more! Anglo-Irish, 57. Here are some Irish last names specific to various regions of Ireland. Theme Names for Corporate Event Tell us about them! The whole purpose of this game is to give each party person a hilarious Irish name for the duration of the event. McCarthy 14. At present, no person with this surname in England is known. Aslanov. The Mac prefix translates to the son of and is commonly seen in Irish surnames, as well as Scottish. Soccer "Our research uses the most up-to-date evidence and techniques in order to create a more detailed and accurate resource than those currently available. Bythesea and Bytheseashore : The first bearer of this surname was William Bythesee in Somerset in the year 1336. Tumbler : The tumbler was an acrobat and sometimes an acrobatic dancer, often recruited to court by a noble to provide entertainment. Any Irish-themed occasion, whether a birthday, a dinner party, a wedding shower, a retirement gathering, a pub crawl - you name it - will get a jolt of energy from the game we are about to show you. The Maguire surname is the most common in Fermanagh. Check out the Irish Surname API. Or just because you're a nerd and have nothing better to do? The Origin and Meaning of Connell and O'Connell Surname, Origin and Meaning of the Last Name Boyle, MURPHY Surname Meaning and Family History, Meaning and History of the Surname Callaghan, NELSON Surname Meaning and Family History, 20 Common Australian Surnames and Their Meanings, Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University. If you would like a free, printable copy of the instructions for this game, simply complete the form below, and it will be in your hands a few seconds later! 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