Kirwan Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kirwan last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Kirwan last name
Meaning of the Kirwan last name: descendant of Ciardubhán ("dark black"). Kirwan comes from the Gaelic Ó Ciardhubháin, from words meaning "dark" and "black". A curious detail: the Kirwans were one of the Tribes of Galway, the merchant families who ran the town for centuries. The name is now common in Galway, Dublin and Waterford, and one Galway Kirwan became a well-known chemist and head of the Royal Irish Academy.
Arms associated with the Kirwan name
Irish heraldry often features hands, trees and animals drawn from old stories, and the arms associated with the Kirwan name belong to that tradition.
Get your full Kirwan family history
This is only a glimpse of the Kirwan story. The full Kirwan history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Kirwan coat of arms. Get the full Kirwan report.
Kirwan name FAQ
What does the Kirwan name mean?
Descendant of Ciardubhán ("dark black"). Common variants include Kirwin, Kerwin, O'Kirwan.
Where does the Kirwan surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Kirwan coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kirwan coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).