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The 10 most popular Irish last names

Click links after each family to see complete clan story and photos

By
ANTOINETTE KELLY,
IrishCentral.com, Staff Writer
Published Sunday, June 5, 2011, 7:15 AM
Updated Sunday, June 5, 2011, 7:15 AM

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Coats of arms representing Irish clans
Coats of arms representing Irish clans


Irish and Irish-Americans alike tend to be immensely proud of their surnames.

Many a Irish family proudly declare their Irish roots by displaying the crest of their clan in their homes.

But which last names win in the battle of Irishness?

IrishCentral took a look at the list of the most common surnames in Ireland in order to come up with a top 10 list.

Smith and Murray are two of the most common, but one is of British origins and the other’s Scottish, so they didn’t make the cut.

Here, then, are the 10 most Irish last names:

1. Murphy  - the sea battlers

Murphys – you win the prize for most common and widespread name in Ireland, especially in County Cork. 

This surname, which means “sea battler,” translates to Gaelic as MacMurchadh (son of Murchadh) and O'Murchadh (descendent of Murchadh), a derivation of the first name of Murchadh or Murragh.

O'Murchadh families lived in Wexford, Roscommon and Cork, in which county it is now most common, with the MacMurchadhs of the Sligo and Tyrone area responsible for most of the Murphys in Ulster.

The name was first anglicized to MacMurphy and then to Murphy in the early 19th century.

READ THE WHOLE STORY OF THE MURPHY CLAN! CLICK HERE

2. Kelly – the bright-headed ones

Kelly comes second to Murphy as the most common surname in Ireland.

The Kellys are all over Ireland; the name originates from at around 10 different and unrelated ancient clans or septs. These include O'Kelly septs from Meath, Derry, Antrim, Laois, Sligo, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Galway and Roscommon.

O'Kelly comes from the Gaelic O Ceallaigh, meaning "descended from Ceallach," an Irish chieftan. “Ceallach” means war or contention. It is an ancient first name that is no longer used as a first name in Ireland. However, Kelly is a popular first name for women in the U.S.

READ THE WHOLE STORY OF THE KELLY CLAN! CLICK HERE

3. O'Sullivan – the hawkeyed ones

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3 Comments

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ciaradexy | Dec 18, 2011, 11:25 AM EST
Wow jan how much of a stereotype is your mate!? She loves to dance and never misses irish dancing!! Cos only irish dance, yeah? She also could live where the Dolans come from cos thats how it is in ireland. We all live in little communes with people with the same surname. Woman, open your mind!

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jan281939 | Jul 03, 2011, 09:53 AM EDT
I love this site. I am trying to locate a good friend of mine who was born in Glasgow and moved to the USA then back to Ireland where most of her family came from. Her Name is Eileen Dolan she had been married to a guy called Leo Arsnault moved to Connecticut has two daughters and then got a divorce remarried and he died shortly afterwards. Then she remarried again moved to Ireland where I lost touch with her. She had sisters that moved to Ireland as well came from a big family all girls and lived on the out skirts of Glasgow we were the best of friends and would like to contact her but don't know where in Ireland she moved to it could be where the Dolans came from her mom and dad both Born Irish. I have been looking a long time for her but no luck so far? I love this new site and its great to look things up about my own grandparents both Irish and he was a mckay not sure what my Gran's last name was... but your site is great and I will be spending alot of time on here. Oh by the way my friend loves to dance she never missses and irish dancing as well...Jan

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thomasbyrne | Jun 07, 2011, 06:07 PM EDT
Wow we are #6! Last I heard we were #7!

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