What is the most common Irish last name in the US?

Murphy – the sea warrior
The most common of all Irish surnames you'll hear in America is Murphy. This highly popular surname means “sea warrior”, a personal name that was once particularly popular in County Tyrone.


What is the most common Irish last name?

Murphy. The most common of all Irish names, the Murphy surname can be found in all four provinces. Murphys are primarily from Antrim, Armagh, Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Roscommon, Sligo, Tyrone, and Wexford, however.

What are common Irish last names?

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 are the top 20 Irish surnames?

One of the earliest Irish surnames, O'Brien, dates back to the 12th century when the grandson of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, honoured him by taking his name.
...
Top 20 Irish surnames
  1. Murphy. ...
  2. Kelly. ...
  3. O'Sullivan. ...
  4. Walsh. ...
  5. Smith. ...
  6. O'Brien. ...
  7. Byrne. ...
  8. Ryan.


How many Americans have Irish surnames?

Surnames from Ireland abound in the United States, even after subsequent waves of immigration from other parts of the world. According to the Census Bureau, around 33 million Americans claim Irish ancestry. That's 10.1 percent of the U.S. population—and more than five times Ireland's current population of 6.6 million.


Frequency of Irish Surnames (1890s)



What is the most Irish town in America?

Scituate also has a particular claim to fame – it is officially designated as the most Irish town in America.

Which US city has the most Irish?

The city with the highest Irish population is Boston, Massachusetts.

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 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 stereotypical Irish name?

This article is our countdown of the most stereotypical Irish family names that you'll hear.
  • O'Reilly (ó Raghallaigh)
  • Doyle (ó Dubhghaill) ...
  • O'Shea (ó Séaghdha) ...
  • Kelly (ó Ceallaigh) ...
  • Walsh (Breathnach) ...
  • Byrne (ó Broin) ...
  • Ryan (ó Maoilriain) ...
  • O'Connor (ó Conchobhair) ...


What is the most rare Irish last name?

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


What are the top 10 Irish last names?

The Most Popular Irish Family Names
  • Murphy.
  • Byrne.
  • Kelly.
  • O'Brien.
  • Ryan.
  • O'Sullivan.
  • O'Connor.
  • Walsh.


What is a pretty Irish name?

Aoife is an Irish name for girls meaning “beautiful” or “radiant.” Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, most likely derives from the Gaelic word “aoibh,” meaning “beauty.” According to Irish legend, Aoife was a fierce female warrior who was in constant conflict with her sister, Scáthach.

What is the #1 last name in the world?

Wang is a patronymic (ancestral) name that means “king” in Mandarin, and it's shared by more than 92 million people in China, making it the most popular last name in the world.


What last names are Celtic?

Common Irish Last Names
  • Murphy. Irish spelling: Ó Murchadha. ...
  • O'Brien. Irish spelling: Ó Briain. ...
  • Kennedy. Irish spelling: Ó Cinnéide. ...
  • O'Reilly. Irish spelling: Ó Raghallaigh. ...
  • O'Neill. Irish spelling: Ó Néill. ...
  • Smith/McGowan. Irish spelling: Mac Gabhann. ...
  • O'Rourke. Irish spelling: Ó Ruairc. ...
  • Walsh. Irish spelling: Breathnach.


What are the rarest Irish names?

Unusual Irish baby names for boys
  • Aengus: Irish version of Angus.
  • Ailill: From the Irish Ailleacht, or “beauty”
  • Bly: Anglicized version of an Irish name.
  • Brogan: An Irish name meaning “sturdy shoe”
  • Caelan: Anglicized form of Caolán.
  • Conlan: This Irish name means “hero”
  • Declan: Anglicized version of Deaglán.


What were the Irish called before Irish?

From as far back as the 16th century, historians taught that the Irish are the descendants of the Celts, an Iron Age people who originated in the middle of Europe and invaded Ireland somewhere between 1000 B.C. and 500 B.C.


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 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 are Irish girls called?

noun, plural I·rish·wom·en. a woman born in Ireland or of Irish ancestry.

What is the most Irish thing to say?

Contents hide
  • 1.1 “Top o the mornin to ya!”
  • 1.2 “And the rest of the day to yourself”.
  • 1.3 “To be sure, to be sure”.
  • 1.4 “a pint of the black stuff”
  • 1.5 “He's talking a load of Blarney”


What US state is most like Ireland?

New Hampshire is the most Irish states in the whole country. An impressive 20.2% of folks in New Hampshire claim Irish ancestry.


What is the most Irish state in America?

The Top 10 Most Irish States In The U.S.
  • New Hampshire.
  • Massachusetts.
  • Rhode Island.
  • Vermont.
  • Maine.
  • Pennsylvania.
  • Connecticut.
  • Delaware.


What percentage of Americans have Irish blood?

1 in 4 US adults have Irish ancestors or relatives. That's 25.75% of the adult population of the USA, equating to over 52 million people. 8.23% of US adults suspect they have Irish heritage, that's around 1 in every 12 people.