Clans

Connally, O’ Connally, O’ Connolly, Ó Conghaile.  The Connolly name originated in the province of Connacht in the west, and also in Co. Monaghan in the north, but has since been widely dispersed throughout the...

Cullane, O’ Cullane, Ó Coileáin.   The Collins name is common throughout counties Cork and Limerick, and in the province of Munster in general. The name means ‘a young creature’, from the Gaelic...

Carvill, Mac Carroll, Mac Carvill, O’ Carroll, Ó Cearbhaill.   Historically, there were several septs of Ó Cearbhaill located in counties Offaly and Louth. The name comes from the Gaelic...

Cary, Carye, Keary, Keery, O’ Keary, Ó Ciardha.   Careys can be of Anglo-Norman or Irish origin. The Irish Careys are descended from the Ó Ciardha sept which was located in the Barony of Carbury in Co...

Byrnes, O’ Beirne, O’ Byrne, Ó Broin.   Byrne, Ó Broin in Gaelic, is now one of the most numerous names in Ireland. The name comes from the word “bran”, which is Gaelic for ‘raven’...

Bourke, De Búrca, De Burgh   De Búrca was originally de Burgo, and is the most common Irish name of Norman origin. The Burke name is most often associated with the province of Connacht where the family was granted large...

Branny, Mac Brennan, O’ Brennan, Ó Braonáin.   There were four septs of the Ó Braonáin clan in the country, located in Kilkenny, Galway, Westmeath and Kerry. There was also a sept of Mac...

Bole, Boyles, O’ Baoighill, O’ Baoill, O’ Boyle, Ó Baoill.   There are two distinct branches of this family in Ireland. The first would be closely associated with the north of the country, in...

Bradie, Mac Brady, O’ Brady, Ó Brádaigh   The Brady clan originated in Co. Cavan in the province of Ulster in the north of Ireland, and it is there that the name remains most common, as well in some of the...

Linch, Linchey, Lynchehan, Lynchy, O’ Lynch, O’ Lynche, O’ Lynchy, de Lynch, Ó Loingsigh.     Lynch as it exists today in Ireland actually has two completely distinct origins...

Hughes, McAodha, McHugh, O’ Hea, Ó hAodha.   The Hayes are descended from the Gaelic sept of the Ó hAodha, although Hayes is also a common name in England where it derives from places of the same name...

O’ Shea is the Anglicisation of the original Gaelic Ó Séaghada, which comes from the personal name meaning ‘hawk-like’ or ‘fortunate’. The sept was located in the Barony of Iveragh in Co. Kerry, where they were...

Callahan, Calligan, Kealahan, Kelaghan, O’ Callaghan, O’ Kelaghan, Ó Ceallacháin.   The O’Callaghan clan originates in the province of Munster in the south of Ireland. It is likely that...

Kelley, Kelly, O’ Kelley, O’ Kelly, Ó Ceallaigh.   Kelly is the Anglicisation of the Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh, based on the personal name “Ceallach” which can mean either...

Mac Guire, Mag Uidhir, Maguier, Maguire, McGuire, McGwire.   Maguire is the Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mag Uidhir, which means ‘son of the brown-haired one’. The sept originated in County Fermanagh in the...

Mahoney, Mahony, O’ Mahoney, O’ Mahony, Ó Mahúna.     The Mahony name is derived from the Gaelic Ó Mathghamhna, from “Mathghamhan” meaning ‘bear’. The surname...

Martin is an extremely common name throughout Ireland, and may be of English, Scottish or Gaelic origin. The Gaelic clan name comes from “Mac Giolla Mhártain”, which means ‘Devotee of Saint Martin’, similarly the Scots...

Mac Carthy, Mac Cárthaigh, Mc Arthy, Mc Carthy, Mc Cartie, Mc Carty.   The name Mc Carthy comes from the Gaelic Mac Cárthaigh from the word “Cárthach” meaning loving. The original bearer of...

Mac Grath, Mac Raith, MacGraw, Magra, Magraith, Magrath, Magraw, Mc Grath.   Mac Raith comes from the Gaelic word “raith”, which means ‘ grace’ or ‘prosperity’. There were two...

Mac Lochlainn, Mc Gloughlin, Mc Laughlane, Mc Laughlin, Mc Lochlin, Mc Loughlin.   This name is derived from the Irish and the Scottish Mac Lochlainn, from the personal name Loch meaning lake and Lann meaning...