Read more: Most popular Irish baby names in America
Read more: Top 100 Irish last names explained
The Irish have a habit of travelling all over the world which mean names like O'Reilly, Malone, Doyle and Hughes are common all across but from the 3,500 Irish surnames what are the most popular. Did your name make the cut? And what is the history behind the names?
Here are our top ten Irish surnames explained:
1. Murphy
Murphy is the most popular name in Ireland by far 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 while the MacMurchadhs of 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.
2. O'Connor
The O'Connor name, with its varied spellings, doesn't spring from a common source. The name arose in five areas of Ireland: Connacht, Kerry, Derry, Offaly and Clare and split into six distinct septs.
The most prominent sept is that of the Connacht O'Connors who gave us the last two High-Kings of Ireland: Turlough O'Connor (1088-1156) and Roderick O'Connor (1116-1198). They trace their heritage and name from the Irish "Ua Conchobhair," meaning from Conchobhar, a king of Connacht.
3. Kelly
The Kellys are all over Ireland; the name originates from at around ten 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 chieftain.
“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.
4. O'Brien
O’Briens are pretty lucky – they are descended from one of the greatest and most famous Irish kings.
The name O’Brien, also spelled O'Bryan or O'Brian, translates to Ó Briain in Gaelic, which means "of Brian.”
The name indicates descendance from Brian Boru, the celebrated High King of Ireland. This gives O’Briens leave to call themselves “high” and “noble.”
Most O’Briens can be found in Counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.
5. Ryan
The meaning of the Irish name Ryan comes from the old Gaelic word "righ" and the old Irish diminutive of "an," which together form the meaning of "little king."
The name Ryan comes from the Irish name O' Riain - a contraction of the older Irish form O'Mulriain, which is now virtually extinct.
Ryan is also an extremely popular first name, especially in Britain and the U.S.
The Ryan family motto is 'Malo More Quam Foedari', which, when translated, means 'I would Rather Die than be Disgraced'.
6. Walsh
The meaning of this “Welsh” name is pretty straightforward.
The name Walsh is one of the most common of the Norman associated names found in Ireland. It seems to have been the name used by the many different groups of Welsh people who arrived in Ireland with the Normans during the 12th century.
The name comes from Welsh, which simply means Welshman, and its early Norman form was "Le Waleys." But this became gradually anglicized to Walsh.
7. Byrne
Byrnes can be found flying around all over Counties Wicklow and Dublin.
Byrne, originally O’Byrne, comes from the Gaelic O'Broin meaning "descended from Bran,” an 11th century King of Leinster.
The O'Byrnes were chieftains of what is now County Kildare until the Norman invasion when they were driven from their lands and migrated (ha!) into the mountains of County Wicklow.
There, together with their allies the O'Tooles, they successfully resisted Norman and English domination for centuries.
8. O'Sullivan
Kellys may have bright heads, but O’Sullivans have hawk-like eyes.
The O'Sullivans or Sullivans are one of the most populous of the Munster families. In Irish, O'Sullivan is O'Sileabhin, and there is no doubt that origin of the name comes from the word suil (eye), though whether it is to be taken as "one-eyed" or "hawkeyed" is in dispute among scholars.
Read more: The O'Sullivan Clan
9. McCarthy
McCarthy or MacCarthaign, in Irisn, means "Son of the loving one" or "loving". This is another popular name in Cork with 60 percent of McCarthys living in Cork. The McCarthys were extremely powerful in the area during the medieval period.
The name originates with Carthach an Eóganacht Chaisil king who died in 1045 in a house fire deliberately started by one of the Lonergans. Carthach was a contemporary and bitter rival of the semi-legendary Brian Boru.
10. O'Neill
The O'Neill family traces its history back to 360 A.D. to the legendary warrior king of Ireland, Niall of the Nine Hostages, who is said to have been responsible for bringing St. Patrick to Ireland.
Niall is also said to have been incredibly fertile – he has 3 million descendents worldwide.
“O’Neill” is derived from two separate Gaelic words, "Ua Niall," which means grandson of Niall, and "Neill" meaning "champion."
Ireland’s O'Neills were known by the nickname "Creagh," which comes from the Gaelic word "craobh" meaning branch, because they were known to camouflage themselves to resemble the forest when fighting the Norsemen. Crafty fellows, those O’Neills.
Source - Eoghan Corry "Top 10 of Ireland"
17 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.ckraftichic | Mar 24, 2011, 04:08 PM EDT
what about the Moores? were to they fit in?
lilchef212010 | Mar 24, 2011, 12:44 PM EDT
Can anyone lend some assistance? I'm trying to trace my "roots". Last name is Day. Our family history is very "spotty" and rarely spoken about if at all. I was told that when some of the family came over, they may have changed the name to "americanize." I would really like to know my heritage. Any ideas on where to start? I never see the name "Day" anywhere on crest or maps. I'm lost.
Canadian | Mar 24, 2011, 11:26 AM EDT
There are two lists. The top 10 and the top 100. One would think that the first ten of the top 100 would be in the list of the top 10. Some names in the top 10 do not show up on the top 100 for example Ryan or McCarthy.
shenanigans | Mar 24, 2011, 09:13 AM EDT
Yes, I agree. That's a great map! Where can it be purchased?
Shebuddy | Mar 24, 2011, 08:25 AM EDT
Where can I get a legible copy of the Clans and Families of Ireland map posted above? My maiden name was changed a few times for reasons of protection mostly.
MAMAMUR | Mar 24, 2011, 12:35 AM EDT
WELL MY FATHERS LAST NAME WAS O'DRISCOLL FROM COUNTY CLAIRE THEN WHEN HE CAME TO THE STATES THEY DROP THE O?
cillowen | Mar 23, 2011, 11:24 PM EDT
Cromwell is the most hated name in ireland as would a name like Paisley and Henry VIII whose Church of Ireland served to keep the natives in place. Check out that Norton's search for roots on youtube (a proddy) is a lesson on the history of 1798 that is strangely never talked about - nigh forgotten.
kbmrkusic | Mar 23, 2011, 06:40 PM EDT
Hmmm, I guess my Dunleavy and McMahon ancestors weren't prolific breeders. Making up for it, however, in this part of the world!
Sparklet | Mar 23, 2011, 06:39 PM EDT
These name articles are getting tedious...is I.C. running out of ideas?
GeorgeDillon | Mar 23, 2011, 03:13 PM EDT
"Where does Hillard fit in?" Who's Hillard?
Doritheisen | Mar 23, 2011, 02:26 PM EDT
Where does Hillard fit in?
bikeman1933 | Mar 23, 2011, 02:02 PM EDT
I checked the top 100 and HUGHES didn't make it although Wikipedia has it the 15th most popular in Ulster and it's mentioned in the lead-in to the story of the top 10. Where have all the HUGHES gone!
pacifist | Mar 23, 2011, 10:42 AM EDT
On the name O'Sullivan and have noticed a mistake whether it is a misunderstanding on Bernie Malone's oart or a typographical error I don't know. But the Gaelic word for eye from my recollection is spelled suil and not sil.
PattyMM | Mar 23, 2011, 10:14 AM EDT
I am happy to be Number 1! :)
Kerry Dog | Mar 23, 2011, 10:09 AM EDT
Married to Mr. Robert O'Brien! Doesn't get any better than that!
pacifist | Mar 23, 2011, 09:58 AM EDT
On the Byrne/O'Byrne clan - there are Byrne's scattered in various Ulster counties, but the most of them are in Donegal and in the parish of Kilcar they are the most numerous of all the clan names. The second in rank is that of Carr and Cunningham comes third. But Byrne's are also to be found in Derry, Tyrone and Armagh and Monaghan.
IrishJets47 | Mar 23, 2011, 09:41 AM EDT
O'Mulriain this is the way I think my grandfather name was spell in Ireland till he move to America with is spell now Mulrain.