What are the rarest Irish surnames?

12 unusual Irish surnames and where they come from
  • Hickey. Hickey is the anglicised form of Ó hÍceadh 'descendant of Ícidhe, a byname meaning 'doctor, healer'. ...
  • Cunningham. Cunningham, comes from the nickname Mac Cuinneagáin, or 'son of the little leader/chief'. ...
  • Patterson/Pattison/Cussen. ...
  • Campbell. ...
  • Tobin. ...
  • Hawkins.


What is the most rare Irish last name?

1. Moloughney. This unusual Irish surname is as rare as it is hard to pronounce.

What is a very Irish last name?

Common Irish Last Names
  • Murphy – ó Murchadha. ...
  • Kelly – ó Ceallaigh. ...
  • Byrne – ó Broin. ...
  • Ryan – ó Maoilriain. ...
  • O'Sullivan – ó Súilleabháin. ...
  • Doyle – ó Dubhghaill. ...
  • Walsh – Breathnach. ...
  • O'Connor – ó Conchobhair.


What is the oldest Irish surname?

The earliest known Irish surname is O'Clery (O Cleirigh); it's the earliest known because it was written that the lord of Aidhne, Tigherneach Ua Cleirigh, died in County Galway back in the year 916 A.D. In fact, that Irish name may actually be the earliest surname recorded in all of Europe.

What is the most Irish name ever?

1. O'Sullivan (ó Súilleabháin) O'Sullivan has to be the most Irish name ever. Also known as simply Sullivan, is an Irish Gaelic clan-based most prominently in what is today County Cork and County Kerry.


Irish Surnames in a Nutshell



What is the prettiest Irish name?

The Most Beautiful Irish Names and What They Mean
  • Saoirse. Saoirse (pronounced seer-sha) is a feminine name that rose to popularity during the 1920s. ...
  • Caoimhe. ...
  • Aoife. ...
  • Fionnoula. ...
  • Dáithí ...
  • Cara. ...
  • Ardál. ...
  • Aisling.


What is a strong male Irish name?

Popular and Common Irish Boy Names
  • Aidan. Kicking off our popular Irish boy names is this angelized form of Aodhán; both names are pronounced AY-dən. ...
  • Cillian. This name has been in Ireland's Top 100 boy names for many years and has recently hit the top 10. ...
  • Conor. ...
  • Declan. ...
  • Finn. ...
  • James. ...
  • Liam. ...
  • Rian.


Is there any Irish royalty?

Monarchical systems of government have existed in Ireland from ancient times. In the south this continued until the early twentieth century, when it transitioned to the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, remains under a monarchical system of government.


What are Viking surnames in Ireland?

Other Norse names found occasionally in Ireland still include Cotter, Dowdall, Dromgoole, Gould, Harold, Howard, Loughlin, Sweetman and Trant.

What is the most famous Irish last name?

According to the Central Statistics Office, Murphy is consistently the most prominent surname across Ireland. Murphy is one of the most common Irish family names and examples of famous Murphys include actors Cillian Murphy, Eddie Murphy, and Brittany Murphy.
...
  • Murphy.
  • Kelly.
  • O'Sullivan.
  • Walsh.
  • Smith.
  • O'Brien.
  • Byrne.
  • Ryan.


What is the oldest name for Ireland?

Hibernia, in ancient geography, one of the names by which Ireland was known to Greek and Roman writers. Other names were Ierne, Iouernia and (H)iberio. All these are adaptations of a stem from which Erin and Eire are also derived.


What are Royal Irish names?

Leinster:
  • MacMurrough (Overlord)
  • O'Byrne.
  • O'Toole.
  • O'Brennan.
  • O'More.
  • O'Dempsey.
  • Fitzgerald of Kildare (Overlord)
  • Fitzpatrick.


What is the oldest known last name?

The oldest surname known to have been recorded anywhere in Europe, though, was in County Galway, Ireland, in the year 916. It was the name “O Cleirigh” (O'Clery). In England, the Normans introduced surnames after 1066.

What is the hardest Irish name to pronounce?

  • Tadhg.
  • Oisín. ...
  • Caoimhe. ...
  • Dearbhla. ...
  • Meadhbh. ...
  • Gráinne. Either “granny” or “grainy” the pronunciation of this name is just never quite right. ...
  • Siobhán. This girls name is a popular one that has confused many foreigners time and again. ...
  • Aoife. Aoife is an extremely common Irish girls name that means “radiance” or “beauty”. ...


What last names no longer exist?

There is a list of names that are extinct. It includes Bread, Spinster, Chips, Rummage, Pussett, Temples, Wellbelove, Hatman and Bytheseashore. Know anyone with those names – hardly. Other names with just a few individuals include Fernsby, Rushlands, Berrycloth, Dankworth, Birdwhistle, Relish and Tumbler.

How do I find my Irish clan?

National Archives of Ireland

The National Archives of Ireland's genealogy portal is one of the key websites for tracing Irish ancestry. It offers free access to the surviving census fragments from 1901/1911, as well as substitute sources. You can search raw census data, then view PDF copies of the original documents.

What is the biggest Irish clan?

Murphy: There are over 50,000 Murphys in Ireland alone and many more around the globe. It is by far the most widespread Irish surname and although it is usually associated with Munster in the south of Ireland, historically the Murphys hailed from Leinster, especially county Wexford.


Do Irish have Viking DNA?

Extensive research into the genetic spread across Ireland and Britain has found that we have massively underestimated Irish Viking heritage.

How do you know if you're a Viking?

Through DNA testing, it is possible to effectively trace your potential inner Viking and discover whether it forms part of your genetic makeup or not. However, it's not 100% definitive. There's no exact Nordic or Viking gene that is passed down through the generations.

Who are the Irish most genetically related to?

Genetically, Ireland's first farmers were most closely related to people living at broadly the same time in Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal). Over generations, the farmers traversed the Mediterranean from Anatolia to Iberia, weaving their way up the French coast before making their way to Ireland by sea.


Which state has the most Irish descent?

The most Irish state in the U.S. is New Hampshire, where 20.2% of the state's residents are Irish. The least Irish state in the U.S. is Hawaii, where only 4.3% of the state's residents are Irish. The most Irish city in the U.S. is Ocean City, NJ, which is 30.22% Irish.

What state has the most Irish descendants?

However, when it comes to the states with the largest population of people identifying as being Irish (with single ancestry), New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania top the list. According to the most recent US census, this accounts for approximately 528,000 people.

What is the Irish name for a king?

Rí, or commonly ríg (genitive), is an ancient Gaelic word meaning 'king'. It is used in historical texts referring to the Irish and Scottish kings, and those of similar rank.


What name means handsome in Irish?

Cullen: From the Irish meaning 'handsome/good looking. '