Hi everyone. I hope you all had a good week. So what’s in an Irish surname? Well here at The Irish Store our best selling personalized gift is our Personalized Framed Family Crest with the vast majority of these gifts being delivered to our American cousins. This is no surprise. Some 33 million Americans claim Irish heritage. It is estimated that almost 5 million have emigrated to the US since the 1700s. Of course the mass exodus of Irish to the States took place during the Great Hunger in years between 1845 and 1852. The population of Ireland declined by 25% and to this day the population is still substantially smaller compared to what it was in the 1800’s.
What’s Your Irish Surname?

Top Irish Surnames
Murphy
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.
Kelly
The Irish surname Kelly is another popular Irish names. 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.
Byrne
Byrne derives from the Gaelic version of both O’Broin and O’Beirne. In the Irish language the name O’Broin means ” Descendent of Bran”. Bran means Raven. “The Book of the Byrnes ” or “Leabhar Branach” contains
contains many different Gaelic poems. The book details the exploits of the Byrnes and O’Byrnes in the 16th Century.
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.
O’Sullivan
Next on the list is my very own name 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”.
Doyle
The surname Doyle boasts a unique and interesting background. The name originates from the the first name “Dubhghall” which means “black-stranger”. This was a term used to differentiate the Danish Vikings from the fair-haired Norwegians who were given the name “Fionnghall”. The name also has links to the Mc Dowell Clan.
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.
O’Connor
The O’Connor surname has been very well documented throughout history and comes from the name O’Conchobar meaning “Descendant of Conor”. The family motto reads “O Dhia gach an chabhair” which translates to “Every help from God”.
McCarthy
This very old Irish surname means “Son of Carthach”. The name means
“loving”. There are several variants of the name and almost 60% of McCarthy’s living in Ireland at the moment live in Co.Cork where the family held a lot of power during the middle ages. Carthach was a bitter rival to the infamous Brian Boru.
So that’s just a short rundown of some of the most popular Irish names. Why not order your very own family crest today (pictured above). There are some 2000 names available! Beautifully crafted in Ballina County Mayo.
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Until next week…
Slán go fóill!
Lulu.
23 comments
Makes for great reading! I am from India but studied in a Christian Brothers’ school and as a student and teacher of English Literature have read a lot of Irish authors. We have a personal connect with them, as one Irish principal put it, especially in the way the British treated both our nations. Keep up the good work!
Hi Rituraj,
Thanks so much for reading and your very kind comments!
Kind regards,
Lulu.
hi im kane i just like to find Origin and Coat of Arms on my dads side of the family last Name McCready
Hi Kane,
I think Mc Cready may be Scottish in origin. See link below.
https://www.houseofnames.com/macready-family-crest
Thanks for reading!
Kind Regards,
Lulu.
My fathers last name is Brannan- I would like to know more about our family name & meaning, where possibly our family is from in Ireland, would you be obliged to help me figure this out, please, & thankyou.
Hi Jeanette,
Thanks so much for reading the blog. Check out the link below for more info on the name Brannan
https://www.houseofnames.com/brannan-family-crest
Kind regards,
Lulu
Hi LuLu,
I’m an Irish-american with a Scottish last name (Graham..my Father’s side!) My Grandfather was from Ireland but died at 36 so I never got to meet him and talk about the”old country”… I’m very proud of my heritage and of being Irish. I would LOVE to know what area my family came from and still reside in over in Ireland. The last name is Gleason. Any h lolelp or info would be fantastic and GREATLY appreciated 😉!
Sincerely,
Angela
Hi Angela,
Thanks so much for reading. I came across this great article about the name Gleeson which I’m sure will be of interest.
https://irishamerica.com/2011/08/roots-the-gleeson-clan/
Kind regards,
Lulu
Hi Lulu
It was a pleasure reading your blog. I am interested in finding and locating the Origin and Coat of Arms on my Dad’s side of the family with the last name Myrick.
Hi Gail,
Thanks so much for reading. It seems the origin of the name Myrick is Welsh. See link below;
https://www.houseofnames.com/myrick-family-crest
Kind regards,
Lulu
Was hoping McKenna would be more popular 🙁
Hello, my Grandfathers last name is Irish, can you tell me coat of arms, origin or any other information? Please and Thank you. Also my last name is Frizzell, any information?
Hi Aaron,
Thanks for reading. Great site below brings up some interesting stuff about the name Frizzell. Try the full name of your father in there too!
Kind Regards,
Lulu
Hi I’m Linda my family name is clarke.they removed the E when they came to USA.
Hi Linda,
Some history of the name Clarke below. Thanks for reading!
https://www.johngrenham.com/surnamescode/surnamehistory.php?surname=Clarke&search_type=full
Kind Regards,
Lulu.
Is the name “Lucas” Irish? Ancestry says I am 36% Irish so would like to know more.
Hi Darlene,
Thanks for reading. Lucas is a name I have seldom heard in Ireland. See below for more info,
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/name-origin?surname=lucas
Kind regards,
Lulu.
Hello Lulu,
Just curious on how common is the surname of ‘Steele’ in Ireland and is it more common in any particular area? Thanks!~
Hi James,
Thanks for reading. Steele would not be a name you would hear much in Ireland. It seems it is of English/Scottish origin. See link below;
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/name-origin?surname=steele
Kind regards,
Lulu.
Hello Lulu,
As a Protestant with the last name of Boyles, would you think that my family probably came from Ulster? I am having a hard time making the ancestry connection.
Thank you,
Dewayne Boyles
Hi Dewayne,
As far as I know Boyles is a derivative of Boyle which hails from Donegal which is in Ulster. See link below for more detailed information,
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/name-origin?surname=boyles
Hope this helps!
Thanks for reading,
Lulu.
Father : Wall from Tipperary which I understand is really Duval and originates from Norman stock.
Mother: Wharton from Kerry. They were Church of Ireland but not sure of origins. Maybe Cumbria?
Hi Dan,
Thanks for reading-interesting combination! See below for more interesting information on the name Wharton;
https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wharton
Kind Regards,
Lulu