Did you ever wonder where some of the popular Irish surnames come from?
The names don’t always originate in Ireland. Often, they were brought over. Looking at the following ten surnames, they’re all of Norman origin.
Over time, the French names were Gaelicised and anglicised – and the names survived. You can still find them in Ireland, but also in the USA and other countries.
10. Butler – can we claim the castle?
The name Butler comes from the le Botiller (the bottle-bearer). Sounds pretty normal, doesn’t it? Well, there was an entire Butler dynasty in Ireland – not so normal now.
Their seats were at Kilkenny Castle and Cahir Castle, both among the best castles in Ireland.
9. Nugent – from place to surname
Nugent is an example of a name that derives from a French place name. It actually comes from the town of Nogent. You can see clearly that the spelling hasn’t changed much. The pronunciation, on the other hand, did.
8. Walsh – a Welshman
Among the 12 most stereotypical Irish surnames, Walsh as a name derived from the “Welsh” and originally referred to a speaker of Welsh. It’s an Anglo-Norman name that came to Ireland after the Norman invasion.
7. Roche – literally rocking
While you might be able to claim Castle Roche, at least you can visit it. Also, isn’t it cool if your name is Roche and there’s a castle with your name? The surname Roche comes from the French word for “rock”.
6. Barry – a name with a lot of history
Barry is more than a tea brand in Ireland. In fact, the origin of the surname is mixed. It’s believed the name comes from the Gaelic “Ó Báire” (descendant of Báire).
However, it’s also said that it derives from de Barry, a family prominent during the Norman invasion.
5. Power – who’s got the power?
Power as a surname has a very interesting history. It was brought over with the Anglo-Norman invasion, but the name could either derive from “le Poer” (a poor person) or from Pois, a place name. From poor to powerful is a pretty cool step up, isn’t it?
4. Lacy – village origins
Lacy (or Lacey) is one of the classic Irish surnames that has Norman origins. The name derives from Lassy, a village in Normandy. The de Lacy family was pretty powerful in Ireland – and they built Trim Castle.
3. Fitzsimons – son of
There are several Irish surnames that start with Fitz. Fitz comes from the Norman French fils, meaning “son of”. So Fitzsimons means Son of Simon.
Here’s another little fun fact for you: The famous actress Maureen O’Hara was born Maureen Fitzsimons.
2. Fitzgerald – the F in JFK
Another Fitz name. So we already know what it means: Son of Gerald. Fitzgerald is one of the top 10 Irish surnames you hear in America – and the most famous person with that name is most likely John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
1. Burke – one of the top names
Burke comes from de Burgh, another powerful family in Irish history. The name was Gaelicised to de Búrca in Irish, and over time it changed to Burke and Bourke. Burke is still in the top 100 of Irish surnames – and a rather common name at that.
Irish surnames are more than just names. They’re a window into the country’s history. In the case of names with Norman origins, that history is the Anglo-Norman invasion. It does make you wonder about your name’s history, doesn’t it?
