Hi Everyone. I hope I find you all safe and well as these days at home continue. While we’re all hunkering down for the weekend, it might be a good time to explore your Irish heritage as a family. One of the most popular topics on my weekly blog is the subject of “going back to your Irish roots”. Some of you are looking for travel advice when planning a trip to discover your Irish origins while nearly everyone wants to know all there is to know about their Irish surname.
5 Popular Irish Coat of Arms
- Murphy
- Kelly
- Ryan
- Walsh
- O’Sullivan
1. Murphy
Our number one Irish coat of arms is certainly no surprise. In Ireland we poke fun at the oft told story of the tourist arriving in Ireland and asking ” So do you know the Murphys?” The truth is that it is highly likely that most us do actually know a Murphy! It is the most common name in Ireland. Approximately 50,000 people in the country have the Murphy name. The origin of the name comes from two different ancient Gaelic clans- the O’Murchadha and the MacMurchadha. The name means “Sea Warrior”. The Murphy clan originally had a large stronghold in the province of Leinster. Today, the name is found in all parts of the country with the largest percentage of Murphys residing in Munster.
2. Kelly
The Irish surname Kelly is another popular Irish name. The name comes from the Gaelic “O’Ceallaigh”, meaning warrior or fighter. Another meaning is “frequenting Churches” which originates from the Irish word Ceall. The dancer Gene Kelly was famously proud of his Irish roots. The inimitable Grace Kelly was the grand daughter of John Peter Kelly, a bricklayer from County Mayo.
3. Ryan
There are over 30,000 Irish people living in Ireland with the surname Ryan. This number rises dramatically when you take in the worldwide numbers of the Irish diaspora. The origins of this particular name are not 100% clear but it has been said that it may have been derived from the Gaelic word “Rí” meaning King. There are numerous Ryan clans documented in history. Many of these originate in parts of Leinster including Wexford and Carlow. The majority of Ryan families track their heritage to the Munster clans in Tipperary and Limerick.
4. Walsh
Walsh is a name brought to Ireland by the British during the Norman invasion of Ireland and translates to “Briton” or “Welshman” or even “Foreigner”. The name appears in the top 250 most popular surnames in America. It is the 4th most common name in Ireland.
5. O’Sullivan
Last on the list is my very own clan and it seems I descend from royalty! The O’Sullivans are said to be a continuation of the Eoghanacht Chaisil sept. They descended from the King of Cashel or Munster from 601-618AD. The O’Sullivans later became known as high princes under the powerful Kingdom of Desmond who succeeded the O’Sullivans in Cashel/Munster. The O’Sullivans family motto is “An Lámh Fhoisteanach Abú” which translates as “The Steady Hand to Victory”.
Do join me again on Monday when I’ll be continuing my Virtual Road Trip of Ireland with a trip the very fine county of Kilkenny!
Shop our broad selection of Irish sweaters, Irish Jewelry, Irish Homewares and Irish Food Hampers and don’t forget to use BLOG10 at the checkout to get a 10% discount!
Look after yourselves and each other
Slán go fóill!
Lulu.
62 comments
I’m adopted , Stanley and Blodgett are Relatives and of Ireland.
Hi Mary Anne,
Thanks for your comment. Blodgett is quite an unusual name for Ireland and I would imagine it’s origins are British.
Hope this helps,
Kind regards,
Lulu.
Way cool site
Thanks so much for your lovely comment,
Regards,
Lulu
Hello im planning on taking my wife to Ireland this year around October . we are a couple normies not your usual sheep like tourists kind of don’t want to draw a bunch of attention and like to get down with the everyday folks. I would like to tour the whole island maybe see where my ancestors were hanging out but I don’t know where to get started any suggestions? thank you for your time! Michael Boland
Hi Michael,
Well that’s exciting that you’re coming over to see us and I hope you have a wonderful trip. May I suggest you check out my series of travel blogs from last year where I explore all of the 32 counties. You’ll find all the greatest hits there as well as some hidden gems from my own travels. Just look up Journeys Around Ireland With Lulu.
Have a wonderful trip!
Regards,
Lulu
I don’t see the coat of arms with the surname of the Condon family.
Hi Kenneth,
Check out the below for the Condon coat of arms.
http://www.irishsurnames.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?name=condon&capname=Condon&letter=c
Thanks for reading,
Kind Regards,
Lulu.
Lulu, have been looking for a coat of arms and tartan for surname woods would appreciate any insight you have. Thank you Michele Sheppard
Hi Michele,
Thanks so much for reading. I found the following site which may be useful to you. It seems the name Woods has English and Scottish as well as Irish origins.
https://www.houseofnames.com/Woods-family-crest/Irish
Kind Regards,
Lulu.
Good morning, my last name is spelled Lauth, but the original spelling is supposedly Louth. I went to an Irish store and found a Coat of Arms for Louth, but cannot find anything online about the name or the Coat of Arms. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Brent,
Thanks so much for reading. Check out the following link I found. Looks like the name could be English in origin.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/name-origin?surname=louth
Kind Regards,
Lulu.
What about blackmon? I used to have drawing of ours but I can’t find anything now. Thank you for helping
Hi Mistye
Thanks for reading. I think Blackmon is a name od English origin. See link below;
https://www.houseofnames.com/blackmon-family-crest
Kind regards,
Lulu
Hi,
Any coat of arms for the Freer family , no idea which county.
Thanks
Hi Annette,
Thanks for reading. Looks like the Freer name has it’s origins in France and England. See link below;
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/name-origin?surname=freer
Kind Regards,
Lulu
I am from the Stickles clan but can’t find the coat of arms for it. Can you help me?
Hi Shirley,
Looks like the origin is English. See link below;
https://www.houseofnames.com/stickle-family-crest
Thanks for reading!
Lulu
Hi, we are trying to figure out what is on our family coat of arms for Keane. We can see the fish, and there’s a tree but we can’t figure out the third one.
Hi Dawn,
u
Thanks for reading. Check out the link below. Has all you need to know about the Keane coat of arms.
http://www.irishsurnames.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?name=keane&capname=Keane&letter=k
Kind Regards,
Lulu
John Landraun O’Neill according to records was my very great grandfather. Orginal from Dublin came to the island of Puerto Rico in the 18th century. He came with a friend named Ricardo Skerrett. Is there any information on his first last name. O’Neill appears to be his wife’s last name for under the Spanish rule the used both last names. Can you help?
Hi Manuel,
Thanks for reading. See the link below for more information on the name Landron.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/name-origin?surname=landron&geo_a=r&geo_s=us&geo_t=uk&geo_v=2.0.0&_ga=2.176507937.506212760.1569513159-1808117748.1569513159&o_iid=41013&o_lid=41013&o_sch=Web+Property
Hope this helps,
Kind regards,
Lulu
Hello, my maiden name is Dorough, they tell me we are Irish descent but I’ve never found a Crest or anything else….Thanks
Hi Melinda,
I found some information-looks like the name is Scottish. See link below
https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/scotsirish/dorrough.htm
Many thanks for reading,
Best regards,
Lulu.
Interested in finding crest for NAUGHTER. I believe it was changed at one time from Noctor or Knoctor.
Husband is from Arklow, Co. Wicklow.
Thank you for any help you can give us.
Hi Catherine,
Thanks so much for reading. I found some more information on your name-see the link below. I hope you find it useful.
http://homepage.eircom.net/~majak/mnoctor/GerardIndex.htm
Happy New Year!
Lulu
I am adopted. I recently found out my biological father’s last name is Veatch and I haven’t been able to find anything about the name. My biological mother’s last name is Young..I can find tons on that name.
Hi Katie
Thanks so much for reading. As far as I know the origin of the name Veatch is Scottish. See link below for more information.
https://www.thetreemaker.com/family-crest-v/veatch/scotland.html
Happy New Year!
Lulu
Hi Kate,
I am looking for a coat of arms for my family from Upper Ireland with the last name of Wrinn or may have originally been wrynn. Thanks
Hi Gene,
Thanks for reading. See link below for more information on the name Wrinn. This suggests the Irish derivative could be Rinn?
Hope this helps,
Kind regards,
Lulu.
https://forebears.io/surnames/wrinn#meaning
Would you happen to have the Coat of Arms for McCrory, or McRory?
Hi Nathan,
See link below for information and coat of arms for Mc Crory.
Kind regards,
Lulu.
Thank you for responding so quickly. Unfortunately, I don’t see a link. ?
Sorry Nathan! See below;
https://www.houseofnames.com/mccrory-family-crest
Kind Regards,
Lulu.
I am hoping you have something in relation to Fyffe. My grandmothers family is from Killskerry and Tillemerick. My grandmother is celebrating her 80th birthday and I would something for her.
Hi Emily,
We don’t have the coat of arms for Fyffe as it is not a common Irish name. It seems the name is Scottish in origin but there is evidence that some Fyffes moved to Ireland. See link below;
https://www.houseofnames.com/fyffe-family-crest
Thanks for reading!
Kind regards,
Lulu.
I was just wondering about Fitzgerald my family member was Transported to Australia in 1825 from Thurles. I know that there was quite a few of them, they had a coat of arms. I was told that it’s use as St Patrick’s saltaire.
Hi Trevor,
There certainly were quite a few Fitzgeralds! It’s a very popular Irish name with a rich history. See the link below for more information on the name. The site may also be a good starting point for further exploration.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for reading ,
Kind Regards,
Lulu.
https://irelandroots.com/fitzgerald.htm
Hello! I love your blogs!! Some of our family surnames are Jordan and parnell (spellings have been adjusted and changed over time). On my last trip to Ireland I visited a tiny little pub called Jordan’s as that was the proprietor’s last name and he was native to Ireland. Have also had Irish pop on DNA test, but not positive it comes from the jordan or purnell line. Will be in Ireland again in july…looking forward to stopping in the store!
Hi Jessica,
I am so delighted you enjoy the blogs. Thank you so much for reading! We look forward to welcoming you!
Stay safe and well,
Lulu.
I’m looking into our family Coat of Arms. My father left me a ceramic piece with an image and I was able to get information on most of it. The part that is puzzling it the image above the coat of arms. The image is a Kings crown with an apple tree above it with a snake wrapped around the trunk of the apple tree. Below that is the Reilly Coat of Arms as shown on your site with “Fortutudine et Prudentia” on the banner and Reilly below that. Can you help us understand the crown/tree/snake image?
Hi Karen,
I found more information on the Riley coat of arms below-it might be a good starting point for further research.
Thanks for reading,
Take care,
Lulu
https://www.theirishrose.com/name-histories-coat-of-arms/reilly-name-history/
I changed my name to a short one; randomly choosing “RAE”. A few year later, I received a catalog from Creative Irish Gifts. About a year later, I received the first of your catalogs. I mused that someone made st think I’m Irish. I have sort of adopted your country as my country of origin, even though I am really of German decent. I have seen two versions of the RAE coat of arms with different colors. One. Erosion has a lot of green, the other has more red. I was told it was actually Scotch/Irish. Could you direct me to a source where I could find out more info about that, as well as the more(?) correct colors? Thanking you in advance..
Hi Pat,
Thanks so much or reading and I hope you’re enjoying your catalogs from The Irish Store! I’m including a link below with more information on the Rae name. You’re right when you say that is is Scottish/Irish. The origins are Scottish but there was a lot of migration from Scotland to Ireland especially at the time of the plantation of Ulster in the 1600s.
https://www.houseofnames.com/rae-family-crest
Hope this helps,
Take good care of yourself,
Lulu.
Can you tell me anything about the surname Oliver or Sims?
Hi Jody,
Couple of links below might be of help.
Thanks for reading,
Kind regards,
Lulu.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/oliver
https://www.houseofnames.com/sims-family-crest#:~:text=Sims%20History%2C%20Family%20Crest%20%26%20Coats%20of%20Arms&text=The%20name%20Sims%20is%20the,and%20meant%20son%20of%20Simon.
I didn’t see a coat of arms for the Egan’s?
Hint… Redwood Castle, Tipperary, Ireland…
Hi Michael,
See more info on Egan coat of arms below,
Thanks for reading,
Lulu
http://www.irishsurnames.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?name=egan&capname=Egan&letter=e
Hello Lulu Sullivan,
My family name is McGee. I don’t see it on this list. Do the McGee’s have a family crest?
Thank you, Melody Walker(married name)
H Melody,
See below for Mc Gee crest and some more info on the name,
Thanks for reading!
Kind regards,
Lulu.
I would love to know what my family crest looks like but don’t see Ritchea
Hi Wondering if you could tell me if the Irish name “Lockrey” has an authentic coat of arms or Crest? Your help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Lynn,
See link below for further info. Thanks so much for reading ,
Kind regards,
Lulu
Hello!
I’ve just found you!
Do you know if there is a coat of arms for the Carrolls? or possibly O’Carroll?
Thank you!
Hi Felicia,
Some more info on the name below.
Thanks for reading,
Lulu.
Hi Felicia- sorry forget to include the link! See below;
https://www.houseofnames.com/o-carroll-family-crest
Hi, I’d like to get Christmas gifts that contain our family coat of arms. Our last name is Duffin. I believe it’s from North Ireland, but am not sure. How can I find a true Coat of Arms for our name? thanks for your help!
Hi Ann,
I found some info on the name Duffin below. Hope this helps,
Kind regards,
Lulu
https://www.houseofnames.com/duffin-family-crest
me gustaria conocer la historia de mi apellido ARALL, creo que es gales, pero tambien han habido ARALL en Irlanda. Gracias
mi correo es: [email protected]
BUSCO MI ESCUDO DEL APELLIDO ” ARALL “, creo que viene de Gales, pero tengo antepsados en mi arbol genealógico en Irlanda, Escocia, Inglaterra, Suecia. Vivo en España (Cataluña), el unico logar donde actualmente en españa hay el apellido ARALL. Muchas gracias.
Love your site by the way ! My Ancestry Galloway are scot : Irish I have a number of Irish Ancesty born and bread North & South. yet they do not appear to be represented as Irish, is that fact of fiction as those that emigrated to the United States took theire Irishness with them. Kind Regards Bob Scott : Galloway.
Hi Bob,
Thanks so much for reading and delighted you’re enjoying the site. Not sure about the lack of Irish representation-it could indeed be down to emigration.
Kind regards,
Lulu