Other Common Names
Many names often appear in two different forms, both with and without an O' or Mac. For example, both Kelly and Sullivan appear as O'Kelly and O'Sullivan.
Cunningham is a surname with multiple roots. Some Cunninghams are descended from the Old Irish Munster family O'Cuinneagain; some are descended from the MacCuinneagains of Connacht. Other Cunninghams come from Scottish families who settled Ireland during the plantation and intermingled with Irish people. Other forms of the name include Coonaghan, McCuinnagan, Kinigan, and Kinahan.
The name FitzGerald comes from Maurice Fitz Gerald, who invaded Ireland with the Normans in 1169; he was the grandson of one of the Normans who invaded England with William the Conquerer in 1066. Maurice's many sons left descendants in Counties Kilkenny, Kildare, and Kerry. His great-great-grandson Maurice was the ancestor of the FitzMaurices and Pierses in County Kerry. By 1600, FitzGeralds were prominent landowners in Counties Waterford, Limerick, Cork, and Kerry; many people in those counties still have the name.
The Gallaghers and O'Gallaghers were common in County Donegal. Although the family wasn't always prosperous, it often intermarried with and fought alongside the powerful O'Donnell family. The O'Gallaghers also produced a number of bishops. The name Gallagher is now common in Counties Donegal, Sligo, and Mayo and in Dublin, where it almost never uses the form O'Gallagher. It's also common in Liverpool, Manchester, and Leeds, where it is pronounced “Galloch-er,” and in Scotland, where it is often spelled Gallchair.
Hamilton is a surname that comes almost entirely from Scots who settled Ireland during the plantation; many of them went to Counties Monaghan, Cavan, Armagh, and Tyrone. The Hamiltons in Scotland descended from Walter Fitz Gilbert of Hambleton, who was granted land in Scotland by Robert the Bruce in the thirteenth century. Most Ulster Hamiltons are Protestant, though there are a few Catholics who descended from Sir George Hamilton.
Most people with the name Joyce are descended from the Joyce clan of Connemara in Galway. They were a prominent Gaelic family, and their territory was called Joyces' County. There are also a number of Joyces in Counties Cork, Kilkenny, and Wexford.
There are several first names associated with the Irish. Patrick, shortened to Paddy, and Michael, shortened to Mick, are well known. The name Seamus (SHAY-mus) is Irish for James. First-born sons were traditionally named after their fathers.
Kelly is an extremely common Irish surname; there are more than 50,000 Kellys in Ireland and many more all over the world. The name means “descendant of Ceallach,” which was a very common name and thus has resulted in families of Kellys and O'Kellys appearing independently in several places. There are Kellys in Counties Galway, Roscommon, Meath, North Wicklow, Antrim, Down, and Laois, as well as just about everywhere else. The most prominent Kelly clan was the Kellys of Uí Maine in Roscommon and Galway. The O'Kellys were one of the most powerful Old Irish families in Connacht up until the seventeenth century.
Maguire has been a common name in Fermanagh for more than 1,000 years. The name derives from the Gaelic Mag Uidhir, which means “son of the pale one.” Maguires were chiefs of the region near Lisnaskea between 1200 and 1600. Their power was broken by Cromwell and King William, and many Maguires moved to France and Austria with the Wild Geese (the colloquial name for the Irishmen who emigrated from Ireland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Conor Maguire was executed for taking part in the massacre of 1641.
Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland. Like Kelly, the name has multiple origins, so the Murphys don't constitute one clan with a single shared ancestor. The name comes from the personal name Murchadh, which means “sea warrior”; evidently, this was a very common occupation in Ireland. Murphy often had an O' or Mac added to it. There were clans of Murphys in Counties Cork, Wexford, Sligo, Roscommon, and Armagh. The Wexford Murphys were the most prominent, but the Cork Murphys were the most numerous. MacMurphys are found mostly in Ulster. Murphys spread out of their counties of origin and are now common all over Ireland.
The name Nixon is common in Ulster, especially in Counties Cavan and Fermanagh, and in County Wicklow. The Nixons in Scotland were part of a group of riding clans that included the Armstrongs, Elliotts, and Croziers. They moved to Ulster in the early 1600s to escape persecution under James VI. Richard Nixon, president of the United States from 1969 to 1975, is perhaps the most famous Nixon.
The Ryans are one of the oldest families of the Tipperary region. They seem to have descended from ancient Leinster chiefs who expanded into Munster. They also went by the name O'Mulryan.
One of the most famous Ryans is the outlaw Ned of the Hill, known for his deeds after the Treaty of Limerick. The Irish rock group the Pogues wrote a song about him.
Sullivan, or O'Sullivan, is another extremely common Irish surname. The name comes from the Gaelic Ó Suileabháin, which might mean “black-eyed,” “hawk-eyed,” or “one-eyed” — no one knows for sure. It is the most common surname in Munster, especially concentrated in Counties Cork and Kerry. The O'Sullivans were one of the most powerful families of the Eóghanacht in Munster. Most Irish Sullivans today have returned to the older form of O'Sullivan.
