Irish surnames are something else entirely.
I have researched naming traditions from dozens of countries and Ireland stands apart in a way that is genuinely hard to explain until you start digging into the history. The Irish were one of the first peoples in Europe to adopt hereditary surnames, doing so as early as the tenth century, centuries before most of the continent. And the system they developed, built around the prefixes Ó and Mac, created a naming tradition so distinctive that you can identify an Irish surname from across a room without knowing a single word of Gaelic.
Ó means grandson or descendant of. Mac means son of. So Ó Brien means descendant of Brian and Mac Cárthaigh means son of Carthach. What makes Irish surnames so fascinating is what the original ancestor’s name actually meant. Warriors, poets, kings, physical descriptions, animals, nature. The meanings run deep and the stories behind them run deeper.
Here are 130 popular Irish surnames with their full meanings.
The Most Common Irish Surnames
These are the names you will encounter most often across Ireland and among the Irish diaspora around the world. Every one of them has been carried by millions of people across centuries and the meanings behind them connect directly to the ancient Gaelic world.
- Murphy
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Murchadha
- Meaning: Descendant of Murchadh, meaning sea warrior
The most common surname in Ireland. Sea warrior is exactly the kind of ancestor name you would expect from a seafaring island nation.
- Kelly
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Ceallaigh
- Meaning: Descendant of Ceallach, meaning bright-headed or warrior
One of the most widespread Irish surnames across every province of Ireland.
- O’Sullivan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Súilleabháin
- Meaning: Descendant of Súilleabhán, meaning dark-eyed one
One of the great Munster surnames. The O’Sullivans dominated the southwest of Ireland for centuries.
- Walsh
- Origin: Irish, from Old English Waleis
- Meaning: Welshman, foreigner
Given to families of Welsh origin who came to Ireland with the Norman invasion. One of the most common Irish surnames despite its non-Gaelic origin.
- Smith
- Origin: Old English, smið
- Meaning: Blacksmith
As in England and Scotland, Smith spread widely in Ireland as an occupational surname.
- O’Brien
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Briain
- Meaning: Descendant of Brian
Brian Boru was the High King of Ireland who defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. His descendants took their surname from him and it spread across Munster.
- Byrne
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Broin
- Meaning: Descendant of Bran, meaning raven
The ravens of Irish mythology were birds of prophecy and war. A name from the ancient Leinster kingdoms.
- Ryan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Riain
- Meaning: Descendant of Rían, meaning little king
One of the great Tipperary surnames. Little king carries a warmth and confidence that explains why this name has always been loved.
- O’Connor
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Conchobhair
- Meaning: Descendant of Conchobhar, meaning lover of hounds
The O’Connors were kings of Connacht and at various points High Kings of all Ireland. Rory O’Connor was the last High King before the Norman invasion.
- O’Neill
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Néill
- Meaning: Descendant of Niall, meaning champion or cloud
The O’Neills were the greatest dynasty of Ulster. Niall of the Nine Hostages, the legendary High King from whom they claimed descent, is one of the most prolific ancestors in Irish history.
- Reilly
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Raghallaigh
- Meaning: Descendant of Raghallach, meaning valiant
The O’Reillys were kings of Breifne, the ancient kingdom that covered what is now Cavan and Leitrim.
- Doyle
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Dubhghaill
- Meaning: Descendant of Dubhghall, meaning dark stranger
Dark stranger was the Gaelic term for the Danish Vikings. The Doyles descended from Norse settlers who integrated into Irish society.
- McCarthy
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Cárthaigh
- Meaning: Son of Carthach, meaning loving
The MacCarthys were kings of Munster and one of the greatest dynasties in Irish history. Blarney Castle belonged to them.
- Gallagher
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Gallchobhair
- Meaning: Descendant of Gallchobhar, meaning eager helper
One of the great Donegal surnames. The Gallaghers were hereditary keepers of the sacred bell of Saint Columba.
- Kennedy
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Cinnéide
- Meaning: Descendant of Cinnéide, meaning armored head or ugly head
The Kennedys were lords of Ormond in Tipperary. The most famous family to carry this name produced the thirty-fifth President of the United States.
Irish Surnames Beginning With Mac
Mac surnames are patronymic names meaning son of a specific ancestor. These are some of the most distinctively Irish Mac names and the stories behind the first men to carry them are extraordinary.
- MacDermott
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Diarmada
- Meaning: Son of Diarmait, meaning free from envy
The MacDermotts were princes of Moylurg in Roscommon. Their ruined castle sits on an island in Lough Key.
- MacNamara
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Conmara
- Meaning: Son of Conmara, meaning hound of the sea
A Clare surname. The MacNamaras were lords of Thomond alongside the O’Briens.
- MacCarthy
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Cárthaigh
- Meaning: Son of Carthach, meaning loving
The Mac form of the McCarthy surname. Both forms are used interchangeably.
- MacMahon
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Mathghamhna
- Meaning: Son of Mathghamhan, meaning bear calf
Bear names were deeply significant in ancient Irish culture. The MacMahons were lords of Thomond and later of Monaghan.
- MacGrath
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Craith
- Meaning: Son of Craith, meaning grace or prosperity
A surname carried across both Donegal and Clare. Two separate families of the same name in different provinces.
- MacGuinness
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Aonghusa
- Meaning: Son of Aonghus, meaning one strength
The MacGuinnesses were kings of Iveagh in Down. Their name is now inseparable from the famous stout that bears it.
- MacNally
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac an Fhailghigh
- Meaning: Son of the poor man
A name of unusual humility for a patronymic surname.
- MacSwiney
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Suibhne
- Meaning: Son of Suibhne, meaning good going or pleasant
The MacSwineys were gallowglass warriors from Scotland who settled in Donegal and became powerful lords.
- MacGillicuddy
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Giolla Chuda
- Meaning: Son of the devotee of Saint Mochuda
A Kerry surname. The MacGillicuddys of the Reeks gave their name to Ireland’s highest mountain range.
- MacCormack
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Cormaic
- Meaning: Son of Cormac, meaning charioteer
Cormac Mac Airt was one of the legendary High Kings of Ireland. A name of ancient royal ancestry.
- MacLoughlin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Lochlainn
- Meaning: Son of Lochlann, meaning Viking or Norse land
Lochlann was the Irish name for Scandinavia. The MacLoughlins descended from the Norse-influenced kings of the north.
- MacBride
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Giolla Bhríde
- Meaning: Son of the devotee of Saint Brigid
Saint Brigid is the most beloved female saint in Irish history. A surname of deep devotion to her.
- MacEvoy
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Fhiodhbhuidhe
- Meaning: Son of Fiodhbhuidhe, meaning yellow wood
One of the ancient Leinster surnames with a nature meaning embedded in the ancestor’s name.
- MacDonagh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Donnchadha
- Meaning: Son of Donnchadh, meaning brown warrior
A Connacht surname carried across Roscommon and Sligo.
- MacClancy
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Fhlannchaidh
- Meaning: Son of Flannchad, meaning red warrior
The MacClancys were hereditary poets and judges to the O’Briens of Thomond.
Irish Surnames Beginning With Ó
The Ó surnames, meaning descendant of, are the most recognizable Irish names in the world. Every Ó tells you that somewhere in the family tree there was a man important enough that his name became the family’s identity for all the generations that followed.
- Ó Briain
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Brian Already appeared above as O’Brien. The Irish spelling makes the origin completely clear.
- Ó Dochartaigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Dochartach, meaning obstructive or hurtful
The Dohertys of Donegal. One of the great Ulster surnames anglicized as Doherty or Docherty.
- Ó Floinn
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Flann, meaning red or ruddy
Flynn in its anglicized form. A color name for a red-cheeked or red-haired ancestor.
- Ó Maoilalaidh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of the devotee of Saint Ailill
Mullally in anglicized form. A devotional surname connecting the family to an early Irish saint.
- Ó Faoláin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Faolán, meaning little wolf
Whelan in anglicized form. The little wolf ancestor gave the Whelans one of the most evocative animal meanings in Irish naming.
- Ó Cathasaigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Cathasach, meaning watchful in battle
Casey in anglicized form. A name of military alertness and vigilance.
- Ó Dubhda
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Dubhda, meaning black or dark
Dowd in anglicized form. A color nickname for a dark ancestor that became one of the Mayo surnames.
- Ó Muircheartaigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Muircheartach, meaning skilled navigator
Moriarty in anglicized form. Navigator is one of the most interesting ancestor meanings in Irish naming. A Kerry surname.
- Ó Coileáin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Coileán, meaning whelp or young dog
Collins in anglicized form. One of the most common Irish surnames across Cork and Limerick.
- Ó Briartaigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Briartach, meaning noble strength
Brady in anglicized form. A Cavan surname with a long history in the midlands.
- Ó Murchú
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Murchadh, meaning sea warrior
Murphy in its Irish form. The most common surname in Ireland restated in its original language.
- Ó Ceallaigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Ceallach, meaning warrior
Kelly in its Irish form. Second most common surname in Ireland.
- Ó Maolmhuaidh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Maolmhuadh, meaning noble chief
Mulloy or Molloy in anglicized form. A Roscommon surname of noble ancestry.
- Ó Lorcáin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Lorcán, meaning little fierce one
Larkin in anglicized form. Lorcán was the name of Saint Lawrence O’Toole, the patron saint of Dublin.
- Ó Treasaigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Treasach, meaning warlike or fierce
Tracy in anglicized form. A Galway surname of warrior ancestry.
Irish Surnames From Ulster
Ulster has a naming tradition that reflects its history as a place of fierce independence, Viking settlement, and the ancient kingdom of the Uí Néill. These surnames are some of the most distinctively northern Irish names in existence.
- Doherty
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Dochartaigh
- Meaning: Descendant of Dochartach, meaning obstructive
The most common surname in Donegal. The O’Dohertys were lords of Inishowen and one of the last great Gaelic families to resist the English crown.
- Quinn
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Cuinn
- Meaning: Descendant of Conn, meaning chief or intelligence
One of the great Tyrone and Longford surnames. Conn was one of the legendary High Kings of Ireland.
- McLaughlin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Lochlainn
- Meaning: Son of Lochlann, meaning Norse land
A major Derry surname. The McLaughlins were kings of the north who rivaled the O’Neills for supremacy in Ulster.
- O’Donnell
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Domhnaill
- Meaning: Descendant of Domhnall, meaning world ruler
The O’Donnells were princes of Tyrconnell, the ancient kingdom covering modern Donegal. Red Hugh O’Donnell was one of the last great Gaelic chiefs.
- Devlin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Doibhilin
- Meaning: Descendant of Doibhilin, meaning unlucky
A Tyrone surname. The unusual meaning comes from an ancestor’s nickname rather than a warrior quality.
- McGinley
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mag Fhionnghaile
- Meaning: Son of Fionnghal, meaning fair valor
A Donegal surname from the ancient territory of Tír Chonaill.
- Mullan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Maoláin
- Meaning: Descendant of Maolán, meaning little bald one or little chief
A Derry and Tyrone surname. The bald one ancestor gave this family an unexpectedly endearing origin.
- McGarry
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mag Fhearadhaigh
- Meaning: Son of Fearadhach, meaning manly
A Roscommon and Leitrim surname also found across Ulster.
- Traynor
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Thréinfhir
- Meaning: Son of Tréinfhear, meaning strong man
A Monaghan surname. Strong man is one of the most direct physical descriptions used as an ancestor name.
- Teggart
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac an t-Sagairt
- Meaning: Son of the priest
A Down surname. Like the Scottish MacTaggart, this reflects the Celtic tradition of priestly families.
Irish Surnames From Munster
Munster in the south of Ireland has one of the richest surname traditions in the country. The kingdoms of Thomond, Desmond, and Ormond each developed their own distinctive family names across centuries of Gaelic rule.
- Fitzgerald
- Origin: Norman French, Mac Gearailt
- Meaning: Son of Gerald, meaning spear ruler
The Fitzgeralds were the most powerful Norman family in Ireland. The Earls of Kildare and the Earls of Desmond both carried this name and between them they dominated Irish politics for centuries.
- Power
- Origin: Norman French, de Paor
- Meaning: The poor one, from Poors in Normandy
A Waterford surname introduced by the Normans. The de Paors became one of the most powerful families in Munster despite the humble meaning.
- Roche
- Origin: Norman French, de la Roche
- Meaning: Of the rock
Another Norman surname that took deep root in Cork and Wexford. A name of the stone fortifications the Normans built across Ireland.
- Sheehan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Síocháin
- Meaning: Descendant of Síocháin, meaning peaceful one
A Kerry and Cork surname. Peace is one of the most beautiful ancestor name meanings in the Irish tradition.
- Cronin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Cróinín
- Meaning: Descendant of Cróinín, meaning little swarthy one
A Cork surname. A physical description of a dark-complexioned ancestor.
- Buckley
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Buachalla
- Meaning: Descendant of Buachaill, meaning boy or cowherd
A Cork surname. Cowherd as an ancestor name reflects the importance of cattle in ancient Irish society.
- Crowley
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Cruadhlaoich
- Meaning: Descendant of Cruadhlaoch, meaning hardy warrior
A Cork surname from the ancient territory of Carbery.
- Healy
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó hÉalaighthe
- Meaning: Descendant of Éalaightheach, meaning ingenious or scientific
Cork and Sligo both have separate Healy families with different origins. A name of intelligence and ingenuity.
- Aherne
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó hEachthighearn
- Meaning: Descendant of Eachthighearn, meaning horse lord
A Clare and Cork surname. Horse lord is one of the most powerful ancestor names in the Irish tradition.
- Callaghan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Ceallacháin
- Meaning: Descendant of Ceallachán, meaning lover of churches
A Cork surname descended from the kings of Munster. Ceallachán of Cashel was one of the great Munster kings of the tenth century.
- Hurley
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó hUirthile
- Meaning: Descendant of Uirthile, meaning sea tide
A Limerick and Clare surname. Sea tide as an ancestor name has a beautiful, elemental quality.
- Keane
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Catháin
- Meaning: Descendant of Cathán, meaning little warrior
A Derry and Galway surname. The little warrior ancestor gave the Keanes a name of compact, fierce energy.
- Riordan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Ríordáin
- Meaning: Descendant of Ríordán, meaning royal bard
Royal bard is one of the most distinctive ancestor names in Irish history. A name of poetic and royal tradition combined.
- Desmond
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Deas Mhumhain
- Meaning: South Munster
A geographical surname taken from the ancient kingdom of Desmond in southwest Ireland. The Earls of Desmond were one of the greatest Hiberno-Norman dynasties.
- Cotter
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Coitir
- Meaning: Son of Ottir, a Norse name meaning terrible army
A Cork surname descended from Norse settlers. Ottir was a Viking name that was gaelicized into the Irish tradition.
Irish Surnames From Leinster
Leinster in the east of Ireland has a naming tradition shaped by its proximity to Viking Dublin, Norman settlement, and the ancient kingdoms of Ossory, Leinster, and Meath.
- Kavanagh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Caomhánach
- Meaning: Follower of Saint Caomhán
The Kavanaghs were kings of Leinster. Art MacMurrough Kavanagh led Irish resistance to English rule for decades in the late fourteenth century.
- Nolan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Nualláin
- Meaning: Descendant of Nuallán, meaning famous or shout
A Carlow and Offaly surname. The O’Nolans were chiefs of Foharta in Leinster.
- Brennan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Braonáin
- Meaning: Descendant of Braonán, meaning moisture or raindrop
A Kilkenny and Roscommon surname. Raindrop is one of the most poetic ancestor names in the Irish tradition.
- Tobin
- Origin: Norman French, de Saint Aubin
- Meaning: From Saint Aubin in Normandy
A Tipperary surname brought by the Normans. The de Tobins became thoroughly Irish over the centuries.
- Lawlor
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Leathlobhair
- Meaning: Descendant of Leathlobhar, meaning half leper
One of the more unusual Irish surname meanings. Leathlobhar was probably a nickname for an ancestor with a skin condition.
- Noonan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Nuanáin
- Meaning: Descendant of Nuanán, possibly meaning beloved
A Cork and Limerick surname with a warm, affectionate ancestor name.
- Bergin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Beirgin
- Meaning: Descendant of Beirgin, possibly from a Norse personal name
An Offaly surname showing the lasting influence of Viking settlement in the Irish midlands.
- Cody
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Óda
- Meaning: Son of Odo, a Norman personal name
A Kilkenny surname descended from a Norman settler named Odo. Made internationally famous by Buffalo Bill Cody whose family had Irish roots.
- Phelan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Faoláin
- Meaning: Descendant of Faolán, meaning little wolf
A Kilkenny and Waterford surname. The little wolf ancestor gave the Phelans a name of fierce, compact energy.
- Delaney
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Dubhshláine
- Meaning: Descendant of Dubhshlaine, meaning black of the Slane river
A Laois and Kilkenny surname. The river Slane runs through the ancient Osraighe territory.
Irish Surnames From Connacht
Connacht in the west of Ireland has a naming tradition shaped by its isolation, its ancient kingdoms, and the wild Atlantic landscape that defined the lives of the people who lived there.
- Burke
- Origin: Norman French, de Búrca
- Meaning: From the fortified place
The Burkes were the greatest Norman family in Connacht. They became so thoroughly Irish that they were considered one of the hibernis ipsis hibernior, more Irish than the Irish themselves.
- Flanagan
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Flannagáin
- Meaning: Descendant of Flannagán, meaning little red one
A Roscommon and Fermanagh surname. The red ancestor gave the Flanagans a warm, vivid name.
- Madden
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Madáin
- Meaning: Descendant of Madán, meaning little dog
A Galway surname. The little dog ancestor gave the Maddens an unexpectedly endearing origin.
- Costello
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Oisdealbhaigh
- Meaning: Son of Oisdealbhach, meaning fawn shaped
The Costellos of Mayo were the first family in Ireland to adopt a Mac surname with a non-Gaelic personal name as the first part, something that became common later.
- Ruane
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Ruadháin
- Meaning: Descendant of Ruadhán, meaning little red one
A Mayo and Galway surname. Another red ancestor name from the west of Ireland.
- Forde
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Giolla na Naomh or from Old English
- Meaning: Son of the servant of the saints, or from a ford crossing
A Galway surname that can have either a Gaelic or an English origin depending on the family branch.
- Concannon
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Concheanainn
- Meaning: Descendant of Concheanann, meaning hound of Ceanann
A Galway surname from the ancient territory of Uí Maine.
- Feeney
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Fiannaidhe
- Meaning: Descendant of the Fianna warrior
The Fianna were the legendary warrior band of Fionn Mac Cumhaill. A name of mythological warrior ancestry.
- Conneely
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Conghalaigh
- Meaning: Descendant of Conghalach, meaning valorous
A Galway surname particularly associated with Connemara.
- Lally
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Maolalaidh
- Meaning: Descendant of the devotee of Saint Ailill
A Galway surname of devotional origin. The full Irish form shows how much information gets compressed in anglicization.
Rare And Historically Significant Irish Surnames
These surnames are less common but carry some of the most extraordinary stories in the entire Irish naming tradition. Every one of them opens a window into a specific chapter of Irish history.
- O’Rourke
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Ruairc
- Meaning: Descendant of Ruarc, meaning champion
The O’Rourkes were kings of Breifne. Tiernan O’Rourke’s wife Dervorgilla was taken by Diarmait Mac Murchada, an act that set off the chain of events leading to the Norman invasion of Ireland.
- Mac Murchada
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of Murchadh, meaning sea warrior
Diarmait Mac Murchada, the King of Leinster who invited the Normans to Ireland, carries one of the most controversial names in Irish history.
- O’Toole
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Tuathail
- Meaning: Descendant of Tuathal, meaning ruler of the people
The O’Tooles were kings of Leinster before the Normans arrived. Laurence O’Toole became the patron saint of Dublin.
- MacMurrough
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Murchadha
- Meaning: Son of Murchadh, meaning sea warrior
The anglicized form of Mac Murchada. Art MacMurrough was the most feared Irish chieftain of the fourteenth century.
- O’Malley
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Máille
- Meaning: Descendant of Máille, meaning chief
Grace O’Malley, Gráinne Uaile, was the pirate queen of Connacht who met Queen Elizabeth I as an equal. One of the most extraordinary figures in Irish history.
- Pearse
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Mac Piarais
- Meaning: Son of Piaras, the Irish form of Piers
Patrick Pearse proclaimed the Irish Republic from the steps of the General Post Office on Easter Monday 1916. He was executed by firing squad six days later.
- Collins
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Coileáin
- Meaning: Descendant of Coileán, meaning whelp
Michael Collins was the military genius of the Irish War of Independence. He was killed in an ambush during the Civil War at the age of 31.
- De Valera
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: From Valera in Spain
Éamon de Valera was born in New York to a Spanish father and Irish mother. He became the dominant figure in Irish politics for half a century.
- Connolly
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Ó Conghaile
- Meaning: Descendant of Conghal, meaning fierce as a hound
James Connolly was the socialist leader who commanded the Irish Citizen Army in the 1916 Rising. He was executed while wounded, tied to a chair because he could not stand.
- Tone
- Origin: uncertain
- Meaning: Uncertain etymology
Theobald Wolfe Tone was the father of Irish republicanism. He led the United Irishmen and sought French military assistance for an Irish rebellion in 1798.
- Emmet
- Origin: Old English, emet
- Meaning: Ant
Robert Emmet led a failed rebellion in 1803. His speech from the dock before his execution became one of the most famous orations in Irish history.
- Parnell
- Origin: Old French, from Petronel
- Meaning: A diminutive of Peter
Charles Stewart Parnell was the uncrowned king of Ireland in the 1880s. His campaign for Home Rule brought Ireland closer to self-government than it had been in centuries.
- Boru
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, Brian Bórumha
- Meaning: Brian of the tributes
The name attached to Brian the High King rather than a surname in the modern sense. Brian Boru is the most celebrated figure in Irish history.
- Synge
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Unknown etymology
J.M. Synge wrote The Playboy of the Western World, causing riots in the Abbey Theatre on its first night in 1907. A name inseparable from Irish literary history.
- Yeats
- Origin: Old English, yat
- Meaning: Gatekeeper
W.B. Yeats was Ireland’s greatest poet and one of the founders of the Abbey Theatre. His surname carries the whole of the Irish literary revival in it.
- Joyce
- Origin: Irish, from Breton Iodoc
- Meaning: Lord
James Joyce wrote Ulysses, considered by many the greatest novel ever written. His surname came from a Connacht family of Breton origin.
- Beckett
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Beehive or stream
Samuel Beckett wrote Waiting for Godot and won the Nobel Prize for Literature. His surname is now inseparable from the theater of the absurd.
- Shaw
- Origin: Old English, sceaga
- Meaning: Small wood or thicket
George Bernard Shaw won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. He refused the prize money, saying the award itself was sufficient recognition.
- Wilde
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Wild
Oscar Wilde was one of the greatest wits in the English language. His trial and imprisonment for gross indecency in 1895 became one of the defining moments in the history of civil liberties.
- Swift
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Fast
Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travels and A Modest Proposal. He was Dean of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin and one of the most savage satirists who ever lived.
Irish Surnames Rarely Heard Outside Ireland
These surnames are so specifically Irish in their construction and meaning that they are almost never encountered outside the island and its diaspora. Every one of them carries something irreplaceable from the Gaelic world.
- Ó hEochaidh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Eochaidh, meaning horseman
Hoey in anglicized form. Eochaidh was one of the great names of ancient Ireland, carried by several High Kings.
- Mac Giolla Chríost
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of the devotee of Christ
Gilchrist in anglicized form. A deeply devotional name meaning the entire family traced itself back to a man dedicated to Christ.
- Ó Maonaigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Maonach, meaning wealthy
Mooney in anglicized form. A Roscommon and Offaly surname.
- Mac Giolla Phádraig
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of the devotee of Saint Patrick
Fitzpatrick in its English form. Ireland’s patron saint gave his name to an entire family line.
- Ó Sé
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Séaghdha, meaning hawk-like
O’Shea in anglicized form. A Kerry surname. Hawk-like is one of the most striking animal meanings in Irish naming.
- Mac Aodhagáin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of the descendant of Aodh, meaning fire
Egan in anglicized form. The hereditary lawyers of Ormond who kept the Brehon law alive for centuries.
- Ó Siadhail
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Siadhal, meaning slothful
Sheils or Shields in anglicized form. One of the more self-deprecating ancestor name meanings in the tradition.
- Mac Fhlannchadha
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of Flannchadh, meaning red warrior
Clancy in anglicized form. A Thomond surname carried by hereditary poets and judges.
- Ó Cléirigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Cléireach, meaning cleric or scholar
Clery in anglicized form. The Ó Cléirighs were hereditary historians of the O’Donnells. The Four Masters who compiled the Annals of the Four Masters were members of this family.
- Mac Cruitín
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of Cruitín, meaning little hunchback
McNulty and similar forms in anglicization. The cruitín were the ancient pipers of Ireland and this family were hereditary musicians.
- Ó Luinigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Luinneach, meaning merry
Lunny in anglicized form. Merry as an ancestor name is one of the most cheerful origins in the Irish tradition.
- Mac Gormáin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of Gormán, meaning little blue one
Gorman in anglicized form. Blue as a color name for an ancestor is unusual and striking.
- Ó Niadh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Nia, meaning champion or warrior nephew
Knee or Nee in anglicized form. One of the shortest and oldest warrior ancestor names in Irish.
- Mac Siurtáin
- Origin: Irish Gaelic, from Old Norse Sigurðr
- Meaning: Son of Sigurd, meaning victory guardian
Jordan in anglicized form. A Norse name gaelicized and then anglicized back to something completely different.
- Ó Meachair
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Meachar, meaning hospitable
Maher in anglicized form. Hospitality as an ancestor quality is deeply embedded in Irish cultural values.
- Mac Liam
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of Liam, meaning resolute protector
Williams in anglicized form. Liam entered Ireland through the Norman William and became thoroughly Irish.
- Ó Duibhir
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Duibhir, meaning black sharp one
Dwyer in anglicized form. A Tipperary surname. Black and sharp as combined ancestor qualities suggests someone of fierce, dark energy.
- Mac Fhirbhisigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Son of Fithbheartach, meaning strong in victory
Forbes in anglicized form when used in Ireland. The hereditary historians of Connacht who compiled great genealogical works.
- Ó Buachalla
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Buachaill, meaning boy or cowherd
Buckley in its Irish form. Already appeared above. Worth restating in its original form to show how different the anglicized version looks.
- Ó Gramhnaigh
- Origin: Irish Gaelic
- Meaning: Descendant of Gramhna, meaning ugly
Granny or Greany in anglicized form. One of the more unflattering ancestor name meanings in the entire Irish tradition and all the more memorable for it.
Wrapping Up
One hundred and thirty surnames from a language that was nearly extinguished and a people who refused to let it disappear entirely.
Every Ó and every Mac on this list is a small act of survival. Save this to your Pinterest board and come back to it whenever you need it!