The Casey Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Casey, its origins in Ireland, and the story behind a Casey family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Casey coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Casey name
Casey anglicises Ó Cathasaigh, "descendant of Cathasach", a personal name meaning "vigilant" or "watchful". Several unrelated septs bore it, in Cork, Limerick, Fermanagh and Dublin. The Dublin playwright Seán O'Casey, born John Casey, made the older form famous. Casey is now common throughout Munster, especially Cork and Kerry, and among Irish Americans.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Casey name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Casey name in Ireland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, England and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Casey family history
The complete Casey pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Casey name FAQ
What does the Casey name mean?
Descendant of Cathasach ("vigilant"). Common variants include O'Casey, Cassey, MacCasey.
Where does the Casey surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Casey coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Casey crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Casey coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.