Top 100 Irish Surnames & Last Names (Family Names Ranked)

Irish Surnames Ranked 41-50:

Irish Last Names Ranked 81-90:

Irish Last Names Ranked 91-100:

More about Irish Last Names, Irish Roots and Genealogy

The Irish people are an ethnic group native to the island of Ireland, who share a common Irish ancestry, identity and culture. Ireland as an island has been inhabited for about 12,500 years according to archaeological studies.

For most of Ireland’s history, the Irish have been primarily a Gaelic people (see Gaelic Ireland). Anglo-Normans conquered parts of Ireland in the 12th century, while England’s 16th/17th-century (re)conquest and colonisation of Ireland brought a large number of English and Lowland Scots people to parts of the island, especially the north.

Today, the island of Ireland consists of the Republic of Ireland (an independent state) and the smaller Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom). People in Northern Ireland hold various national identities including British, Irish, Northern Irish or some combination thereof.

The Irish are renowned globally for their customs, language, music, dance, sports, cuisine, friendliness, large families and mythology. Although Irish (Gaelic/Gaeilge) was their main language in the past, today most Irish people speak English as their first language.

Historically, the Irish nation was made up of kin groups or clans, and the Irish also had their own religion, law code, alphabet and style of dress.

The population of Ireland is approximately 6.3 million, however, it’s estimated that 50 to 80 million people around the world have Irish forebears, making the Irish diaspora one of the biggest of any nation.

Over history, emigration from Ireland has been the result of conflict, famine and economic issues. People of Irish descent and as a result, Irish family names are found mainly in English-speaking countries, especially Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia.

There are also significant numbers in Argentina, Mexico and New Zealand. The United States has the most people of Irish descent, while in Australia those of Irish descent are a higher percentage of the population than in any other country outside Ireland. Many Icelanders have Irish and Scottish Gaelic forebears. 

In these countries, you may find some difficult to pronounce Irish last names. You may also find some stereotypical Irish surnames.

As a result of the high numbers of Irish people all around the world, Irish last names can be found all over the world.

Tracing Your Irish Family Tree

You can find trace your Irish family tree by visiting an Irish Government supported website which is dedicated to helping you in your search for records of family history for past generations.

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