More Irish family names

The Irish family names on this page include some of my own ancestors' surnames (so please forgive the domination of names from co. Cork) and some that I've selected at random. They are all fairly common names, and although they include some that are historically connected with a specific region, they are now encountered across Ireland. Surname origins or derivations are given where I've been able to find some concensus among research findings.

Just four surnames feature in this 1929 wedding photo: Doyle, Tierney, English and Gannon.

The names below, which appear here without any prefix, are in alphabetical order.

Callaghan:

From Ceallachan, meaning bright-headed, the name refers to a 10th century king of Munster whose grandson took it as an hereditary surname. Originally based near Mallow in co Cork, most of the aristocratic O'Callaghans were forced to move to co Clare after losing much of their land in battle. Extended family remained, however, and nearly 50% of all (0)Callaghans in the mid-19th century were found in co Cork.

Connell:

This name derives from the once very popular first name 'Conall' so, given the 'ancestral' nature of Irish family names, it is no surprise that this surname is common in Ireland.

In the 19th century it was more typically seen without either an O or a Mac prefix, but this has completely changed over the last 100 years. Mac/McConnells in Ulster are usually of Scottish ancestry.

The most famous bearer of the name was Daniel O'Connell (1775-1845), the great Liberator, who fought for and won Catholic Emancipation in the first half of the 19th century.

Crowley:

Another of the BIG Irish family names centred on Munster, there were 1061 Crowley households recorded across Ireland in the mid-19th century; only 65 were not in the southwest province. Nearly 80% were in co Cork. The name comes from Cruadhlaoich meaning 'hardy warrier' and is thought to have originated within a MacDermott family in the 11th century.

Driscoll:

Nearly always prefixed by O in modern times, the O Driscolls were the powerhouse of the extreme south-southwest tips of Cork, taking in the towns of Baltimore, Rosscarberry, Schull and Skibbereen, and the islands of Roaring Water Bay. With their domination of these coastal areas, they had a reputation for being great seafarers. In the mid-19th century, some 88% of Driscoll households remained in co Cork.

Grady:

Derived from 'grada' meaning 'illustrious', this was the name of an aristocratic family centred on cos Limerick and Clare. In the mid-19th century, there were 1103 Grady households; they were most numerous in Cos Mayo (136), Galway (133), Limerick (113), Tipperary (112) and Clare (104). The O prefix has been reattached by most, especially in co Clare. A 17th century branch of the family changed the name to Brady.

Higgins:

A great Gaelic name, not to be confused with the English name, Higgins derives from the Irish word 'uiginn' meaning Viking. It appeared as a surname when adopted by the descendents of a grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages. Despite these Ulster roots, Higgins was primarily known as a Connacht name in the mid-19th century. With and without the O prefix, Higgins was the 79th most common of Irish family names in 1996.

Nolan:

My great great grandfather Edmond Tobin of
Ballymacadam, co Tipperary, was, according to
this newspaper cutting, one of the last surviving
members of the Papal Army which fought against
Garibaldi in the 1860s.

From 'nuall' meaning 'shout', the early Nolans were perhaps a noisy lot who made themselves known to the Kings of Leinster and became hereditary princes of the present-day county of Carlow. It remains a very common Carlow name, and while it is now widespread in Ireland, its stronghold is still Leinster.

Shea:

O Sé in modern Irish, the anglicised version may be spelt Shea or Shee. The name comes from séaghdha, meaning hawklike or stately. The early medieval power base of the O Sheas was the Iveragh peninsula in co Kerry where in remains a very common name. In the early 14th century a branch of the family migrated to Kilkenny (where the name is more likely to be O Shee) and became known as one of the 'Ten Tribes of Kilkenny'. Nearly all Shea/Shee families have resumed the O prefix in modern times.

Tierney:

There were around 900 Tierney households in the mid-19th century and they were distributed across the central third of the island. They were most numerous in Cos Tipperary (151) Galway (111), and few had settled in the far north or far south. The name comes from 'tighearna', meaning 'lord'.

Tobin:

This name derived from 'tóibín', the Irish version of St Aubyn. The latter was the original home of an Anglo-French family which settled in Kilkenny and Tipperary in the 12th century. In the mid-19th century there were more than 1000 Tobin households. The largest numbers (430) were still to be found in those two counties, with another
330 in Cos Cork and Waterford. Today, the name is found primarily in the southeast.
Due to its Norman origins, Tobin never carries a prefix.

More about Irish family names

• Discover the history of Irish last names, and the 'how, when and why' of the O and Mac prefixes.
• The 20 most numerous Irish surnames in 1890.
• Return from Irish Family Names page to the main Irish Names menu.