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Irish Surnames: Meaning, Origin & Coat of Arms (page 2 of 2)

201 common Irish family names. Open a name to read its last name meaning, its surname origin and the heraldry associated with it.

  • Kinsella
    Ireland

    From Cinnsealach, byname of Éanna MacMurrough

  • Kirwan
    Ireland

    Descendant of Ciardubhán ("dark black")

  • Lawlor
    Ireland

    Descendant of Leathlobhar ("half sick")

  • Leahy
    Ireland

    Descendant of Laochdha ("heroic")

  • Lennon
    Ireland

    Descendant of Leannán ("lover, sweetheart")

  • Lynch
    Ireland

    Descendant of a mariner; also Norman de Lench

  • Lyons
    Ireland

    Descendant of Laighean; from Lyons (Normandy)

  • Madden
    Ireland

    Descendant of Madudhán ("little dog")

  • Maguire
    Ireland

    Son of Odhar, "the dun-coloured"

  • Maher
    Ireland

    Descendant of Meachar ("hospitable")

  • Mahony
    Ireland

    Descendant of Mathghamhain ("bear")

  • Malone
    Ireland

    Descendant of a devotee of St John

  • Maloney
    Ireland

    Devotee of the Lord

  • McBride
    Ireland

    Son of the devotee of Saint Brigid

  • McCabe
    Ireland

    Son of Cába ("cape, hood")

  • McCann
    Ireland

    Son of Cana ("wolf cub")

  • McCarron
    Ireland

    Son of Ciarán

  • McCarthy
    Ireland

    Son of Cárthach, "loving"

  • McCormack
    Ireland

    Son of Cormac

  • McCoy
    Ireland

    Son of Aodh ("fire")

  • McDermott
    Ireland

    Son of Diarmaid

  • McDonagh
    Ireland

    Son of Donnchadh ("brown warrior")

  • McDonnell
    Ireland

    Son of Domhnall ("world-mighty")

  • McElroy
    Ireland

    Son of the red-haired lad

  • McEvoy
    Ireland

    Son of Fíodhbhuidhe ("woodsman")

  • McFadden
    Northern Ireland

    Son of little Patrick

  • McFarland
    Northern Ireland

    Son of Parlan (Bartholomew)

  • McGee
    Ireland

    Son of Aodh ("fire")

  • McGovern
    Ireland

    Son of Samhradhán ("summer")

  • McGowan
    Ireland

    Son of the smith

  • McGrath
    Ireland

    Son of Craith

  • McGuinness
    Ireland

    Son of Aonghus

  • McHugh
    Ireland

    Son of Aodh ("fire")

  • McKenna
    Ireland

    Son of Cionaodh (Kenneth)

  • McKeown
    Ireland

    Son of Eoghan

  • McKinney
    Northern Ireland & Scotland

    Son of Cionaodh (Kenneth)

  • McLaughlin
    Ireland

    Son of Lochlann (Scandinavian)

  • McMahon
    Ireland

    Son of Mathúin ("bear")

  • McManus
    Ireland

    Son of Mánus (Magnus)

  • McNally
    Ireland

    Son of the poor man

  • McNamara
    Ireland

    Son of Cú Mara ("hound of the sea")

  • McNulty
    Ireland

    Son of the Ulsterman

  • Molloy
    Ireland

    Descendant of the noble leader

  • Moloney
    Ireland

    Descendant of the devotee of the Church

  • Mooney
    Ireland

    Descendant of the wealthy one

  • Moran
    Ireland

    Descendant of Mórán ("great")

  • Morrissey
    Ireland

    Descendant of Muirgheas ("sea choice")

  • Mulcahy
    Ireland

    Descendant of the devotee of Cathach

  • Mulligan
    Ireland

    Descendant of Maolagán

  • Mullins
    Ireland

    Miller, or descendant of Maolán

  • Mulvey
    Ireland

    Descendant of Maolmiadhach (honourable)

  • Murphy
    Ireland

    Descendant of Murchadh, "sea warrior"

  • Murray
    Ireland

    Descendant of Muireadhach, "sea-lord"

  • Murtagh
    Ireland

    Descendant of the navigator

  • Naughton
    Ireland

    Descendant of Neachtan (bright, pure)

  • Nevin
    Ireland

    Son of Cnáimhín ("little bone")

  • Nolan
    Ireland

    Descendant of Nuallán, "famous"

  • Nugent
    Ireland

    Norman, from Nogent in France

  • O'Brien
    Ireland

    Descendant of Brian Boru

  • O'Connor
    Ireland

    Descendant of Conchobhar

  • O'Donnell
    Ireland

    Descendant of Domhnall ("world mighty")

  • O'Donoghue
    Ireland

    Descendant of Donnchadh ("brown warrior")

  • O'Driscoll
    Ireland

    Descendant of Eidirsceól ("interpreter")

  • O'Flaherty
    Ireland

    Descendant of Flaithbheartach ("bright ruler")

  • O'Grady
    Ireland

    Descendant of Grádaigh ("noble, illustrious")

  • O'Hara
    Ireland

    Descendant of Eaghra

  • O'Keeffe
    Ireland

    Descendant of Caomh ("gentle")

  • O'Leary
    Ireland

    Descendant of Laoghaire ("calf herder")

  • O'Malley
    Ireland

    Descendant of Máille

  • O'Neill
    Ireland

    Descendant of Niall

  • O'Riordan
    Ireland

    Descendant of the royal poet

  • O'Rourke
    Ireland

    Descendant of Ruarc

  • O'Toole
    Ireland

    Descendant of Tuathal ("ruler of the people")

  • Power
    Ireland

    Poor (nickname); Anglo-Norman family

  • Quigley
    Ireland

    Descendant of Coigleach ("untidy")

  • Quinn
    Ireland

    Descendant of Conn, "chief"

  • Rafferty
    Ireland

    Descendant of Rabhartach ("flood tide")

  • Redmond
    Ireland

    From the Norman personal name Raymond

  • Regan
    Ireland

    Descendant of Riagán

  • Reilly
    Ireland

    Descendant of Raghallach

  • Rooney
    Ireland

    Descendant of Ruanadh ("champion")

  • Rowan
    Ireland

    Red-haired (Irish), or from Roland (Scots)

  • Ryan
    Ireland

    Descendant of a follower of Rian

  • Savage
    Ireland

    Wild, of the woods

  • Scanlon
    Ireland

    Descendant of Scannlán

  • Sexton
    Ireland

    Sacristan, or descendant of Seasnán

  • Shannon
    Ireland

    Descendant of Seanachán (old, wise)

  • Shea
    Ireland

    Descendant of Séaghdha ("hawk-like")

  • Sheehan
    Ireland

    Descendant of Síodhachán ("peaceful")

  • Sheehy
    Ireland

    Son of Sítheach ("peaceful")

  • Sheridan
    Ireland

    Descendant of Sirideán ("seeker")

  • Sloan
    Northern Ireland

    Descendant of Sluaghán (army)

  • Sullivan
    Ireland

    Descendant of Súileabhán (from súil, "eye")

  • Sweeney
    Ireland

    Son of Suibhne, "pleasant"

  • Tierney
    Ireland

    Descendant of Tighearnach ("lordly")

  • Tobin
    Ireland

    Norman, from St Aubyn

  • Vance
    Northern Ireland

    Of the valleys

  • Wall
    Ireland

    Dweller by a wall, or 'of the valley'

  • Walsh
    Ireland

    The Welshman

  • Whelan
    Ireland

    Descendant of Faolán ("little wolf")

Every surname can be researched, even if it isn't listed here.

Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Coats of arms were granted to individuals, not to everyone with a surname.