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from Oxford University Press "American Family Name Origins"
O'Rourke
Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ruairc ‘descendant of Ruarc’, Old Gaelic Ruadhrac, a personal name from Norse Hrothrekr (see Roderick). This is the name of chieftain family in counties Leitrim and Cavan.
Roderick
1. English: from the personal name Hrōdrīc, composed of hrōd ‘renown’ + rīc ‘power(ful)’, Old Norse form Hroþrekr. This name was in use among the Normans in the form Rodric, but was not frequent in the medieval period.
2. Welsh: Anglicized form of the personal name Rhydderch, originally a byname meaning ‘reddish brown’.
from Oxford University Press "American Family Name Origins"
O'Rourke
Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ruairc ‘descendant of Ruarc’, Old Gaelic Ruadhrac, a personal name from Norse Hrothrekr (see Roderick). This is the name of chieftain family in counties Leitrim and Cavan.
Roderick
1. English: from the personal name Hrōdrīc, composed of hrōd ‘renown’ + rīc ‘power(ful)’, Old Norse form Hroþrekr. This name was in use among the Normans in the form Rodric, but was not frequent in the medieval period.
2. Welsh: Anglicized form of the personal name Rhydderch, originally a byname meaning ‘reddish brown’.
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