Irish
names are used on the island of Ireland as well as elsewhere in the Western World as a result of the Irish diaspora. See also
about Irish names.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
ANDERSON Scottish, IrishAnglicized form of the Gaelic
Mac Ghille Andrais meaning 'Son of the devotee of St. Andrew'. ... [
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BAINEBRIDGE English, IrishBridge over the Bain, An English town named for its place on the river Bain, now used as a surname. Lives near the bridge over the white water... [
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BARNEWALL Anglo-Norman, IrishA locational surname given to those who lived by a stream in either Cambridgeshire, which derives its name from the Olde English
beorna meaning "warrior" and
wella meaning "stream", or from one in Northamptonshire, which got its name from the Olde English
byrge meaning "burial mound" and
well, which also means "stream." a burial mound and 'well(a)'... [
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BARRINGTON English, IrishEnglish: habitational name from any of several places called Barrington. The one in Gloucestershire is named with the Old English personal name
BEORN + -ing- denoting association + tun ‘settlement’... [
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BIDDLE English, IrishVariant of English
BEADLE or German
BITTEL. The name is now popular in the north east region of America, where it was brought by English and Irish immigrants.
BLANEY IrishTopographic name from Welsh
blaenau, plural of
blaen "point, tip, end", i.e. uplands, or remote region, or upper reaches of a river.
BOLLARD English, IrishAccording to MacLysaght, this surname of Dutch origin which was taken to Ireland early in the 18th century.
BONAR IrishA "translation" of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cnáimhsighe "descendant of
Cnáimhseach", a nickname meaning literally "midwife" and ostensibly a derivative of Gaelic
cnámh "bone".
BONNAR Irish, GaelicTranslation of the Gaelic "O'Cnaimhsighe", descendant of Cnaimhseach, a byname meaning "Midwife
BOWE Medieval English, English, Irish (Anglicized)There are three possible sources of this surname, the first being that it is a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of bows, a vital trade in medieval times before the invention of gunpowder, and a derivative of the Old English pre 7th Century 'boga', bow, from 'bugan' to bend... [
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BRACKEN IrishFrom Irish Ó Breacáin meaning "descendant of Breacán", a personal name from a diminutive of breac 'speckled', 'spotted', which was borne by a 6th-century saint who lived at Ballyconnel, County Cavan, and was famous as a healer; St... [
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BRANNOCK IrishOriginally taken from the Welsh place name
Brecknock. Medieval settlers brought this name to Ireland.
BRODERICK Irish, Welsh, EnglishSurname which comes from two distinct sources. As a Welsh surname it is derived from
ap Rhydderch meaning "son of
RHYDDERCH". As an Irish surname it is an Anglicized form of
Ó Bruadair meaning "descendent of Bruadar"... [
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BROPHY Irish (Anglicized)Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Bróithe ‘descendant of Bróth’, a personal name or byname of unknown origin. Also Anglicized as Broy.
BROSNAN IrishAnglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Brosnacháin meaning "descendant of Brosnachán", a given name derived from
Brosna, a small village and parish in County Kerry, Ireland.
BURNEY English, IrishForm of the French place name of 'Bernay' or adapted from the personal name
BJORN, ultimately meaning "bear".
BYNES IrishThis is the surname of American actress Amanda Bynes (born April 3, 1986).
CAGNEY IrishAnglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Caingnigh meaning "descendant of Caingneach", a given name meaning "pleader, advocate". A famous bearer was American actor and dancer James Cagney (1899-1986).
CALLIGAN Irish (Rare)Before Irish names were translated into English, Calligan had a Gaelic form of O Ceallachain, possibly from "ceallach", which means "strife".... [
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CALVEY IrishVariation of McKelvey. Meaning rich in possessions or Irish from the French word bald
CANAVAN Irish (Anglicized)Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceanndubháin "descendant of
Ceanndubhán", a byname meaning "little black-headed one", from
ceann "head" combined with
dubh "black" and the diminutive suffix
-án.
CARBREY IrishAnglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cairbre and
Mac Cairbre meaning "descendant of
CAIRBRE", a given name meaning "charioteer".
CARLAN IrishAnglicized form of Irish
O'Carlain or
O'Caireallain, from the Irish
carla meaning a "wool-comb" and
an meaning "one who" which roughly translates as "one who combs wool"... [
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CARNEY IrishAnglicized form of Gaelic
Ó Catharnaigh "descendant of Catharnach", a byname meaning "warlike".
CARREY IrishVariant spelling of
CAREY. A famous bearer is Canadian-American actor and comedian Jim Carrey (1962-).
CARVILLE French, IrishAs a French location name it comes from a settlement in Normandy. As an Irish name it derives from a word for "warrior".
CASSEY Scottish, IrishThis surname originated around ancient Scotland and Ireland. In its Gaelic form it is called, 'O Cathasaigh', which means 'the watchful one'.... [
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CAULFIELD IrishComes from the Irish Gaelic
Mac Cathmhaoil, which was Anglicized to
McCawell and then morphed into Caulfield.
Mac Cathmhaoil comes from a word meaning "chieftan".
CINNAMOND Scottish, Irish, EnglishPossibly originates from Scottish place name Kininmonth. Probably introduced to Northern Ireland by Scottish settlers where it remains in Ulster. Another origin is the French place name Saint Amand originated from French Huguenots settling in Ireland.
CLAINE Scottish, IrishAnglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Gille Eathain, a patronymic name meaning "son of the servant of Saint John."
CLOONEY English, IrishFrom Gaelic
Ó Cluanaigh meaning "descendant of
CLUANACH". Cluanach was a given name derived from Irish
clauna "deceitful, flattering, rogue".
COACH IrishOrigin uncertain. Most probably a reduced form of Irish McCoach, which is of uncertain derivation, perhaps a variant of
MCCAIG.
COAKLEY IrishFrom Irish Gaelic
Mac Caochlaoich "son of
Caochlaoch", a personal name meaning literally "blind warrior".
COCHRANE Scottish, Scottish Gaelic, IrishDerived from the 'Lowlands of Cochrane' near Paisley, in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Origin is uncertain, the theory it may have derived from the Welsh
coch meaning "red" is dismissed because of the historical spelling of the name
Coueran.... [
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CONE IrishReduced form of McCone. Americanized spelling of North German Kohn or Köhn, or Kuhn.
CONKLIN Irish, DutchOrigin unidentified. Most likely of Dutch origin (the name is found in the 18th century in the Hudson Valley), or possibly a variant of Irish
COUGHLIN.
CONLON IrishAnglicized form of Gaelic Ó Conalláin or Ó Caoindealbháin.
CONRAN IrishThe surname Conran is derived from 'O Conarain', and Conran is a more anglicized version.... [
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CONWAY Welsh, Scottish, IrishAs a Welsh surname, it comes from the name of a fortified town on the coast of North Wales (Conwy formerly Conway), taken from the name of the river on which it stands. The river name
Conwy may mean "holy water" in Welsh.... [
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COOGAN IrishAnglicized form of the Gaelic name "MacCogadhain"; composed of the Gaelic prefix "mac," which means "son of," and the Gaelic personal name "Cuchogaidh", which means "Hound of War". The name is also found in Ireland as Cogan, Coggan, Coggen, Cogin, Coggon, Coogan and Goggin(s).
COOLEY IrishAnglicized form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Chúille ‘son of the servant of (Saint) Mochúille’, a rare Clare name.
CORKERY Irish (Anglicized)Anglicized form of Gaelic
Ó Corcra "descendant of
Corcra", a personal name derived from
corcair "purple" (ultimately cognate with Latin
purpur).
COSTELLO Irish, ItalianCostello (Irish: Mac Coisdealbha) is a common Irish surname originating in County Mayo. The surname derives from Jocelyn de Angulo (fl.1172), an Anglo-Norman knight.... [
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COTTER IrishReduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Oitir "son of
Oitir", a personal name borrowed from Old Norse
Óttarr, composed of the elements
ótti "fear, dread" and
herr "army".
COURT English, French, IrishA topographic name from Middle English, Old French
court(e) and
curt, meaning ‘court’. This word was used primarily with reference to the residence of the lord of a manor, and the surname is usually an occupational name for someone employed at a manorial court.... [
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CRANLEY IrishThe surname Cranley was first found in Ulster (Irish: Ulaidh), where they held a family seat but were also to be found in County Offaly and Galway. The sept is styled the Princes of Crich Cualgne and are descended from Cu-Ulladh, a Prince in 576.
CRAVEN Irish, EnglishIrish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Crabháin (County Galway) or Mac Crabháin (Louth, Monaghan) ‘descendant (or ‘son’) of Crabhán’... [
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CROWLEY Irish (Anglicized), EnglishIrish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cruadhlaoich ‘descendant of Cruadhlaoch’, a personal name composed of the elements cruadh ‘hardy’ + laoch ‘hero’. ... [
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CULBERT Anglo-Saxon, Irish, English, ScottishMeaning and origin are uncertain. Edward MacLysaght (The Surnames of Ireland, 1999, 6th Ed., Irish Academic Press, Dublin, Ireland and Portland, Oregon, USA) states that this surname is of Huguenot (French Protestant) origin, and found mainly in Ireland's northern province of Ulster... [
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CUNNIFF IrishFrom Irish Gaelic
Mac Conduibh "son of
Condubh", a personal name meaning literally "black dog".
CUNNINGHAM IrishSurname adopted from Scottish by bearers of Gaelic Ó Cuinneagáin "descendant of
Cuinneagán", a personal name from a double diminutive of the Old Irish personal name
Conn meaning "leader, chief".
CURRENT IrishThe surname of Current, is of Irish/Scottish with several different families, and meanings of this name. There are many spelling variations of this name.
CURRIE Scottish, IrishIrish: Habitational name from Currie in Midlothian, first recorded in this form in 1230. It is derived from Gaelic
curraigh, dative case of
currach ‘wet plain’, ‘marsh’. It is also a habitational name from Corrie in Dumfriesshire (see
CORRIE).... [
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CUSACK IrishAn Irish family name of Norman origin, originally from
Cussac in Guienne (Aquitaine), France. The surname died out in England, but is common in Ireland, where it was imported at the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century.
DADE IrishAnglicized form of
MacDaibheid, meaning "son of David".
DAILEY IrishAnglicized form of Irish Ó Dálaigh meaning "descendant of DÁLACH".
DAILY IrishAnglicized form of Ó Dálaigh, meaning "descendent of DÁLACH". The name has strong roots in the county Cork.
DALL IrishDerived from Old Irish
dall, a byname meaning "blind".
DANVERS Irish, EnglishFor someone from Anvers, which is the French name of a port called Antwerp, located in what is now Belgium.
DARRAGH IrishAnglicized form of Gaelic
Dhubhdarach, a personal name meaning "black one of the oak tree".
DEADY IrishAnglicized form of Gaelic Ó Déadaigh ‘descendant of Déadach’, a personal name apparently meaning ‘toothy’.
DEANE IrishSurname found in Ireland, it is the name of one of the Tribes of Galway.
DEES IrishThe surname Dees refers to the grandson of Deaghadh (good luck); dweller near the Dee River; one with a dark or swarthy complexion. Also considered of Welsh origin.
DENNEHY IrishMeans Ireland and someone who likes Chinese food
DERRY Irish, EnglishEnglish variant of
DEARY, or alternatively a nickname for a merchant or tradesman, from Anglo-French
darree ‘pennyworth’, from Old French
denree... [
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DIAMOND IrishAnglicized form of Gaelic
Ó Diamáin "descendant of Diamán", earlier
Díomá or
Déamán, a diminutive of
Díoma, itself a pet form of
DIARMAID.
DICKEY IrishNorthern Irish: from a pet form of the personal name Dick 1.
DILLON IrishDillon is a surname of Irish origin but with Breton-Norman roots. It is first recorded in Ireland with the arrival of Sir Henry de Leon (c.1176 – 1244), of a cadet branch of Viscounty of Léon, Brittany... [
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DINEEN Irish (Anglicized)Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic
Ó Duinnín which meant "descendant of Duinnín". The byname
DUINNÍN was derived from a diminutive of Gaelic
donn meaning "brown" (i.e. "brown-haired man") or "chieftain".
DISKIN Irish (Anglicized)Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Díscín "descendant of
Díscín", which may be derived from
díosc "barren". The place name Ballyeeskeen, now Ballydiscin, in County Sligo, is derived from the surname.
DOANE IrishIrish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic
Ó DUBHÁIN ‘descendant of
Dubhán’, meaning ‘the little black one’, a common name in the 16th century in southern Ireland, or
Ó DAMHÁIN ‘descendant of
Damhán’ meaning ‘fawn’, ‘little stag’, a rare Ulster name... [
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DOLE English, Irish (Anglicized)English: from Middle English dole ‘portion of land’ (Old English dal ‘share’, ‘portion’). The term could denote land within the common field, a boundary mark, or a unit of area; so the name may be of topographic origin or a status name... [
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DONEGAN IrishAnglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Donnagáin. Diminutive of "donn" which means "brown," referring to hair color.
DONNELLAN IrishFrom the Gaelic Domhnallain, a diminutive of Donnell/Domhnall meaning "world mighty" (Irish form of the Scottish Donald).
DOWELL English, Scottish, IrishDerived from the Gaelic name
Dubhgall, composed of the elements
dubh meaning "black" and
gall, "stranger". This was used as a byname for Scandinavians, in particular to distinguish the dark-haired Danes from fair-haired Norwegians.
DOWNEY IrishAnglicization of Irish name Dounaigh, which is, in turn, an Gaelicization of a Norman name. Dates from the 11th c.
DRURY English, French, IrishOriginally a Norman French nickname, derived from
druerie "love, friendship" (itself a derivative of
dru "lover, favourite, friend" - originally an adjective, apparently from a Gaulish word meaning "strong, vigourous, lively", but influenced by the sense of the Old High German element
trut,
drut "dear, beloved").... [
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DUCK English, IrishEnglish from Middle English
doke, hence a nickname for someone with some fancied resemblance to a duck or a metonymic occupational name for someone who kept ducks or for a wild fowler. ... [
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DUNNE Irish, English, ScottishThis surname means dark and was likely given to those with a dark complexion or with dark hair.
DWIGGINS IrishAnglicized form (with English genitive -s) of Gaelic Ó Dubhagáin (see Dugan) or, more likely, of Ó Duibhginn (see Deegan).Possibly a variant (by misdivision) of English
WIGGINS.
EARLEY German, IrishThe surname Earley originally derived from the Old English word Eorlic which referred to one who displayed manly characteristics.... [
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ENRIGHT Irish (Anglicized)From Irish Gaelic
Indreachtach, literally "attacker". The surname was borne by British poet D.J. Enright (1920-2002).
FAGAN IrishFrom a surname, "The name Fagan in Ireland is usually of Norman origin, especially in Counties Dublin and Meath. In the County Louth area the name is derived from the native Gaelic O'Faodhagain Sept of which there are a number of variants including Feighan, Fegan and Feehan." (from irishsurnames.com)
FAHEY IrishAnglicized form of Gaelic
Ó Fathaidh or
Ó Fathaigh meaning "descendant of Fathadh", a given name derived from the Gaelic word
fothadh "base, foundation".... [
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FAIR English, IrishEnglish: nickname meaning ‘handsome’, ‘beautiful’, ‘fair’, from Middle English
fair,
fayr, Old English
fæger. The word was also occasionally used as a personal name in Middle English, applied to both men and women.... [
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FALLON IrishAnglicized form of the surname
Ó Fallamhain meaning "descendant of
Fallamhan", the name being a byname meaning "leader" (derived from
follamhnas meaning "supremacy").
FANNING IrishThe roots of the name are unclear. It seems the name is Native Irish Gaelic. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic name Ó Fionnáin which means "fair".
FARADAY IrishFrom Irish Gaelic
Ó Fearadaigh "descendant of
Fearadach", a personal name probably based on
fear "man", perhaps meaning literally "man of the wood". A famous bearer was British chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867).
FARLEY Irishanglicized form of the Gaelic surname O'Faircheallaigh.
FARMER IrishAnglicized (part translated) form of Gaelic
Mac an Scolóige "son of the husbandman", a rare surname of northern and western Ireland.
FENNESSEY IrishAn ancient Irish name. Presumed to come from the name Fionnghusa, or sometimes O'Fionnghusa.... [
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FIELD English, Scottish, Irish, Jewish (Anglicized)English: topographic name for someone who lived on land which had been cleared of forest, but not brought into cultivation, from Old English
feld ‘pasture’, ‘open country’, as opposed on the one hand to
æcer ‘cultivated soil’, ‘enclosed land’ (see
ACKER) and on the other to
weald ‘wooded land’, ‘forest’ (see
WALD)... [
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FINNIGAN IrishThis interesting surname is of Irish origin, and is an Anglicization of the Gaelic
O' Fionnagain, meaning the descendant(s) of Fionnagan, an Old Irish personal name derived from the word "fionn", white, fairheaded.
FITZWILLIAM IrishFitz appears to be a Norman term derived from the French word fils and the Latin word filius, each of which means son. The name is most common in England and Ireland, each of which was conquered by Normans between 1066-1167.
FLANNERY IrishAppears originally in Irish Gaelic as
O Flannabhra derived from
flann, meaning "red", and
abhra, meaning "eyebrow". First appeared in County Tipperary, Ireland.
FLOOD IrishThere are some English Flood's, but the name mainly derives from the Irish O'Taicligh or Mac an Tuile and was Anglicized to Flood, Floyd, and Tully when the Gaelic language was outlawed in Ireland by the English.
FOGARTY Irish (Anglicized)Reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Fógartaigh ‘son of Fógartach’, a personal name from fógartha meaning "proclaimed", "banished", "outlawed". It is sometimes Anglicized as
HOWARD.
FOLEY IrishAs a northern Irish surname it is derived from the Gaelic personal name
Searrach, which was based on
searrach "foal, colt" and anglicized as
Foley because of its phonetic similarity to English
foal.
FOODY IrishAnglicized version of ó Fuada, or 'descendent of Fuada'. It comes from the personal name 'fuad' or 'swift' but also 'rush' and 'speed'.
FORBES Irish, ScottishComes from a Scottish place meaning "field" in Gaelic. It can also be used as a first name.... [
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FOY Irish (Anglicized)A different form of
FAHY (from Irish Gaelic
Ó Fathaigh "descendant of
Fathach", a personal name probably based on Gaelic
fothadh "foundation").
FUREY IrishAnglicized form of Ó Fiúra and Ó Fiodhabhra. Means "bushy eyebrows" derived from Irish
fiodh "wood" and
(f)abhra "eyebrow."
FURLONG English, IrishApparently a topographic name from Middle English furlong ‘length of a field’ (from Old English furh meaning "furro" + lang meaning "long".
FURLOW English (British), Irishthe warrens came over to America on the Mayflower. they made settlements and went through the revolutionary war. the name changed to Baughman then Furlow. the furlows fought in the cival war and were slave owners... [
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GALL Scottish, Irish, EnglishNickname, of Celtic origin, meaning "foreigner" or "stranger". In the Scottish Highlands the Gaelic term
gall was applied to people from the English-speaking lowlands and to Scandinavians; in Ireland the same term was applied to settlers who arrived from Wales and England in the wake of the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century... [
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GAMON IrishThis name is a last name for the Irish it means Liam Gamon.
GARRIGHAN Irishto denote 'son of Geargain' a name which originally in derived from 'gearg' which meant grouse but which was often used figuratively for warrior
GEDDES Scottish, IrishThere is a place of this name in Nairn, but the name is more likely to be a patronymic from Geddie.