Foley
Can someone please tell me the origin of the surname Foley?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Replies
1. (southern) reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Foghladha ‘descendant of Foghlaidh’, a byname meaning ‘pirate’, ‘marauder’.
2. (northern) Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Searraigh (see > McSharry), chosen because of its phonetic approximation to English foal.
>> Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Searraigh (see > McSherry).
>> Irish (southern Ulster): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Searraigh ‘son of Searrach’, a personal name based on searrach ‘foal’. It is sometimes further Anglicized as Foley
(Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press)
www.ancestry.com
2. (northern) Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Searraigh (see > McSharry), chosen because of its phonetic approximation to English foal.
>> Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Searraigh (see > McSherry).
>> Irish (southern Ulster): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Searraigh ‘son of Searrach’, a personal name based on searrach ‘foal’. It is sometimes further Anglicized as Foley
(Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press)
www.ancestry.com