Irish Identity

Where your folk
came from

MacCabe Hired mercenaries orignating from Scotland. The gaelic word cába meaning a cap or a hood reflected their style of headdress. The MacCabes are a numerous family and predominate in the Cavan area.	Cadigan A county Cork family and different from Cadogan which has Welsh orgins.
Cafferty Can also be found with the Mac attached. It is common in Donegal and to a lesser degree in Fermanagh.	MacCaffrey Related to the Maguires of Fermanagh. Fairly numerous also in counties Cavan and Monaghan.
Cagney Rarely seen in any other part of Ireland except south-west Cork.	MacCague Largely confined to north Monaghan. Is a variant of the MacTeague name from Tyrone.
Cahalane Meaning mighty in battle, popular in west Cork and parts of Kerry.	Cahill A clan which is found in many parts of the country, including Galway and Clare but also in Cavan and Donegal plus Tipperary.
Caldwell Originated in England but now common in parts of Ulster, including Cavan, Armagh and Tyrone - also Meath.	Callaghan Thought to have been called after Ceallacháin, 10th century King of Munster. The clan gives its name to Clare village, O’Callaghan’s Mills. Very numerous in Cork and neighbouring counties.
Callan Unconnected with the town of the same name in Co. Kilkenny. Instead it is a name most associated with Ulster, more particularly the counties of Monaghan and Armagh.	Callinan One-time chief servants of the powerful MacCarthys of Cork. Another branch of the family later settled in Galway but, to this day, are most numerous in the Rebel County and neighbouring Kerry.
MacCallion Very much associated with the northern counties of Donegal, Tyrone and Derry. Centuries ago were mercenary soldiers in the employ most of the Donegal O’Donnells.	MacCambridge Very much identified with the Ulster-Scots people of Co. Antrim. Is not seen anywhere else outside of the north-east of Ireland.
Campbell Despite the name’s association with Scotland, the Campbell clans in Tyrone and Donegal are predominantly Irish in origin. A common name in Ulster generally. Also Dublin.	Campion Not unconnected with the surname champion as both are derived from the french word for combatant as in battle. Most common in the midlands, especially after the plantation of Laois and Offaly in the seventeenth century.
Canavan Found principally in Ulster, especially Tyrone and Armagh.	MacCandless Confined almost exclusively to Ulster. Appears in various forms.
MacCann A common name in Ulster, especially in county Armagh.	Canning Some of English origin but in some places related to the midland name Cunneen. See Leitrim.
Cantwell An old English family in Ireland since the twelfth century. See Kilkenny and Cork.	Canty From west Cork, sometimes called County
Caraher South Ulster around Monaghan and Armagh. Often Carragher.	Carbery Cairbre means charioteer, different septs. See Ballymacarbry in Waterford.
Carew Of Norman origin, long connected with Tipperary, Cork, Carlow and Kildare.	Carey Very common throughout, especially in western counties. Connected to McCary, Crean, Currane, Keary, Kerins, Kerrane and Kierghry.
Carley Of English and Irish origin. English family settled in Wexford and Irish version is popular in Westmeath area.	Carlin A form of Carolan found in Donegal and Tyrone.
Carmody An old Thomand name found in Limerick and Clare.	Carney Common throughout, especially in western seaboard counties like Mayo and Clare. Also Meath. In Ulster often MacKearney.
Carolan An east Cavan - north Meath sept.	Carpenter Often from MacAteer
Carr Very popular in Donegal. An anglicised form of Carry, MacElhar, Kerrane and Mulcair.	Carrig Found in Clare - Limerick area.
Carroll Very common. Various septs, the most important of which are from the Laois, Offaly, Kilkenny area. Also Louth and south Ulster.	MacCarron Related to the O’Neills and found in Monaghan and Tyrone.
Carry Popular in north Meath area.	MacCartan Son of Art and a great Down name.
Carter Of English origin.	MacCarthy One of the great Irish families and most common in the south west Munster area.
MacCartney Sometimes Scottish, others related to Mulhartagh and MacCaugherty in Tyrone	Carty Often Carthy and found in Connacht, Wexford and Meath.
MacCarville A south Ulster family. See Monaghan.	Casey Numerous unrelated septs. Popular in Cork, Kerry, Mayo, Longford, Roscommon and Westmeath.
MacCashin Sometimes with the O. Popular enough in Laois, Tipperary and Waterford.	Cashman Comes from the Kerry name Kissane and mostly found in Cork.
Caskey Of Norse origin, found in Derry and Tyrone.	Caslin Found in Roscommon, Leitrim and Longford.
Cassells Of Norman origin and found in Meath.	Casserly A north midlands name.
Cassidy A Fermanagh family who acted as physicians to the powerful Maguires. See Derry nowadays.	Cassin Found in the Tipperary-Offaly area.
MacCaughey Often spelt MacCahey and a familiar name in Tyrone.	McCaul Related to McCall, also to MacCahill coming from the Irish MacCathmhaoil. Found mainly in Ulster.
McCauley See MacAuley. Two different branches. One around the midlands and the other more numerous in the north west.	Caulfield An English settler family and connected to such local names as Caffrey and Gaffney. Also MacCaul and common in Mayo.
MacCausland Found in Derry and Tyrone.	MacCavana An Antrim form of MacEvanny
Cavanagh See the more numerous Kavanagh.	Cheasty A well known Waterford family.
Cheevers Also Chivers. Arrived with the Normans and found mostly in Leinster.	Clabby O’Clabaigh means wide mounted and found in Roscommon.
MacClafferty See MacLafferty and mostly a Donegal name.	Claffey Meaning Laitheamh, the Irish word for ruler and fairly common in Offaly and south Westmeath areas.
Clancy Two prominent branches. One in Clare who were attached to the O’Briens and the other in the north midland area of Roscommon and Leitrim.	Clarke An English name but most Clarkes are native Irish. Sometimes an anglicised version of O’Clery.
Clavin A well known Laois-Offaly sept.	MacClean Or MacLean, of Scottish origin and common enough in the Derry, Antrim and Dublin areas.
Clear Or Clare in Meath, from the Norman De Cleir. See Kilkenny and Wexford.	MacCleary Mac A leary in Sligo and most common in Ulster counties.
Clegg An old English name found in Ulster and Dublin areas.	MacClelland Scottish origin who settled in Ulster.
Clerkin Meaning clerk and a fairly popular name in Monaghan.	Clery Or Cleary was a great Galway sept who migrated and are now mostly found in Munster.
Clafferty Often anglicised as Clifford and found in its original form in Tyrone and Donegal.	Clinch Or Clynch, of English origin and found in Meath-Dublin.
MacClintock Another Scottish name associated with Antrim and Derry.	Clinton Or MacClinton which originated in Donegal and Fermanagh. Clinton itself is of Norman origin.
Clogher Found in Roscommon.	Clogherty Originates from Connemara.
Clohessy From Ballycloghessy in Clare. Still attached to this area. See also Limerick.	Cloney Often Clooney or McLoonie in Donegal. See Wexford.
MacClory An old Down-Armagh family.	Close Common enough in parts of Antrim.
MacCloskey Connected to the O’Kanes. Found in Derry and other neighbouring parts of Ulster.	MacCloy Another famous Scottish clan which arrived in Ireland during plantation times. See Antrim.
MacClare Came from Scotland but ironically probably arrived there from Antrim-Derry areas. Connected to MacAteer.	MacClusker Connected to MacCluskey and found in Derry and Armagh.
Coady See Cody. Found mostly in Kilkenny area.	Coakley Related to Kehilly and found in Cork
Coates Arrived with the Plantation of Ulster. See Dublin.	Cobbe Established in Laois, Offaly and Kildare area during the seventeenth century.
Coburn Popular enough in north Louth. In some cases from the Irish MacConboirne.	Cochrane Scottish origin but often connected to Corcoran.
Codd An old English family who settled in Wexford. Still mostly associated with the Model County.	Cody See Coady
Coen Related to the Coynes in Connacht, the Cowans in east Ulster and somethimes Cohen.	Coffey Three main groupings. The two most numerous originate in west Cork and along the border lines of Galway and Roscommon. Also a Bardic family in Westmeath.
Cogan From the Norman de Cogan who settled in Cork and where they are still numerous. Sometimes changed to Gogan or Goggins. Related to Coogan.	Coghlan See Coughlan
Cogley See Quigley	Cohen See Coen
Colavin A north Connacht sept who migrated to Cavan where they became known as Cullivan.	Colclough An English name seen in Wexford and Offaly.
Coldrick Found in Cavan and Meath and connected to Goldrick.	MacCole Connected to McCaul but Cole is also an English name which arrived in Fermanagh-Cavan during Ulster Plantation times.
Colfer Found in Wexford	MacColgan Two main branches, one in Derry-Tyrone, the other around the Offaly area.
Coll Usually of Viking origin and fairly plentiful in Donegal.	Colleary Found in Mayo and Sligo.
Colleran Originates along the Mayo and Galway borderline.	Colley Claims its identity to the Roscommon-Galway area.
Coleman An English name but most Irish Colemans arrived from the name O’Colman. Connected to the Cork Cliffords.	Collier An English name but very common in Meath and also in parts of Wexford and Kilkenny.
MacCollin Found in the Oriel and sometimes anglicised to MacQuillan or MacCullen.	Collins An English name but in Ireland it is generally the anglicised version of O’Coileáin. Very popular in Cork and neighbouring parts of Limerick.
Collopy Mostly found in Limerick.	Coloe Related to MacCullagh, Coloe can be found in Meath and Westmeath.
MacColum Mostly an Ulster name but Colum is found around the Longford area.	MacComb A Scottish family and now common enough in the north east. Connected to MacComish.
Comer A close relation of the Kerrigans of Galway and Mayo. Also Kerin.	Comerford An English family tracing its roots back to 1210 in Ireland. Found mainly in Kilkenny.
Comey Connected to Coomey, Comey can be found in Cavan, Meath. Also in Cork.	MacComiskey MacCumascaigh, meaning confuser. Found in Monaghan, and along the Cavan-Longford border.
Commone From O’Comáin in Munster and Ó Cuimín in Connacht. Sometimes called Commons in Wexford and Cummins in Cork.	Comyn Came with the Normans. Rare but found in Wexford and Louth.
Conaghan A Donegal name, often changed to Cunningham	MacConaghy A branch of the Scottish clan Robertson.
Conaty Originated in east Cavan and associated with the townland of Munterconnacht.	Conboy Meaning yellow hound. related to Conway and found in Sligo-Roscommon area.
Concannon O’Concheanainn means fairheaded hound and is found in Mayo and Galway.	Condon Popular enough in Cork and neighbouring counties.
Condron Often spelt Conran and comes from the Laois-Offaly area.	MacConley An Offaly name, sometimes related to Connolly.
Conlon See O’Connellan	Connaghty Meaning man from Connacht, found in north Louth area as Conachy.
Connaughton A popular Connacht name, originally from Mayo-Sligo area and more recently in Roscommon.	MacConeely A Connemara name. Related to Nealy and Corneely.
MacConnell Usually MacDhomhnaill and not McConaill meaning son of Daniel not Connell. Very popular in east Ulster and north midlands.	O’Connell A great Kerry family and now one of the most numerous names in Ireland. Often used without the O further north.
O’Connellan Mostly seen in Connacht and related to Conlon and Conlan. Also Quinlan and Quinlivan.	Connerton Related to Connaughton.
Connery Popular along the Cork and Limerick border.	Connolly Two strong assemblies of Connollys. In Galway where it is often spelt Connelly and in Monaghan.
MacConnon An Oriel name and has still strong links to its homeland of Monaghan, south Armagh and north Louth.	MacConnor Son of Connor and an Ulster name.
O’Connor One of the great clans of Ireland. A number of distinct septs. In Connacht (one of this branch was the last High King of Ireland), in Offaly, where the letter O is often omitted, in Kerry and in north Clare. Often called Connors.	Conole Seen around west Clare.
Conoo Also Connoe. Nowadays probably known as Conway. Once very popular in west Cork.	Conrahy An Offaly-Laois name sometimes changed to Conroy.
Conran See Condron	Conroy Mostly associated with Connacht and especially Galway. Related to Conree, Conary and Conry.
Considine A branch of the O’Briens and found in Clare.	MacConvery Associated with south Derry.
MacConville A south Armagh name which branched into other Oriel areas of Down and Louth.	Conway An anglicised form of several Irish names. MacConnmhaigh in Thomand, MacConmidhe in Tyrone, O’Connbhuidhe in Sligo and O’Connmhacháin in Mayo. Conway itself is numerous in Offaly and Laois.
Conyers A French family in Kerry-Limerick area. Sometimes used by the O’Connors.	MacCooey Another Oriel clan.
Coogan Found mainly in Kilkenny, also Monaghan.	Cooke Three different origins. Mostly Scottish in Ulster, English in Leinster but the MacDhabhocs, a branch of the Burkes in Galway were anglicised to read MacCooge.
MacCool Meaning devotee of St Comhghal and found in Donegal. Sometimes changed to Cole.	Cooley Connected to Colley, MacCawley and Cowley. Also to the north Clare-south Galway name Kilcooley.
Coonan Originated in Sligo, nowadays found in Offaly and north Tipperary.	Cooney One of the leading Irish names. Most popular in Clare, Galway and Cavan.
Coote An influential family who landed on our shores five hundred years back. Associated with Laois and Cavan (Cootehill).	Corbally See Louth and Meath.
Corbane Or Corbett which is English. Corbane comes from Ó Corbáin in Munster or Ó Cairbin in Connacht.	Corbane Or Corbett which is English. Corbane comes from Ó Corbáin in Munster or Ó Cairbin in Connacht.
MacCorbay Sometimes Corby and found in the south midlands of Laois, Offaly and Tipperary.	MacCorcoran Originating around Slieve Bloom area. Still popular in Offaly and neighbouring Westmeath.
O’Corcoran Chases the family roots back to Fermanagh.	Cordue Found in Clare. Disputed English or Spanish origin.
Corduff Comes from the Donegal-Sligo-Mayo area.	Corey Found in Tyrone. Related to Corry.
Corish Usually linked to Wexford.	MacCorkell Or Corkhill and associated with Donegal-Derry.
MacCorless MacCoirleasa and mainly found in Galway.	Corley Changed from Curley and associated with Sligo-Mayo area.
McCormack Spelt McCormick in Ulster. Meaning son of Cormac, it is very popular in Westmeath. The spelling MacCormac is usually of Scottish origin.	Cormican Linked to MacCormack. Maps Clare, Roscommon and Galway. Also Down.
Corr Different opinions to origin. Found in north west Ulster. See Tyrone	Corridan Connected to Corrigan. Associated with the Shannon Estuary areas of Kerry and Clare.
Corrigan Related to the Maguires of Fermanagh. Still linked to this area.	MacCorry See also Curry, Corrie and Corr. Another branch of the Maguires. Common in Tyrone.
MacCosgrave An old west Monaghan family.	O’Cosgrave No connection to the Macs. Linked to Cosker in south Leinster. Again found in Monaghan.
Cash Or Cush. Meaning MacCoise (leg). McCosh is found in Antrim. while Cush can be seen in east Tyrone and Armagh.	MacCostello Strange for a Mac to have Norman origins. Gave their name to the barony of Costello in east Mayo. Still popular in this area. See also Cavan.
Coates On record along Cork and Waterford border.	Costigan Related to the Fitzpatricks. See Laois and Kilkenny.
MacCotter MacCoiter. An old Irish family with a Viking meaning name which remains numerous in Cork.	Cottle Viking connections and linked to Sligo.
Cotton An English family long associated with the south east. Ref Ballycotton in Cork.	MacCoubrey A Scottish name found in Down
MacCoughlan A leading clan in west Offaly. Still numerous in the Faithful County.	O’Coughlan Usually titled Coughlan or Coghlan. Cork remains the homeland.
Coulahan See Cuolahan.	Coulter Found in Down, Derry area. See Colter.
Counihan Sometimes linked to Cunningham or Coonan. A Kerry name.	County See Canty.
De Courcy Leading Norman John De Courcy arrived in Ireland in 1177. Prominent in west Cork where the name still remains sometimes without the De, often Coursey.	MacCourt An Oriel name, fairly numerous in the north east.
Courtney Norman but sometimes the anglicised version of Cournane and MacCourt.	MacCoveney Originally Kilkenny, now Cork.
Cowan Popular in Ulster where it has links to MacCoan, Coyne, MacKeown and MacIlhone.	Cowhig Also Cowhey. Connected to Coffey and found in Cork.
Cowley One of the tribes of Kilkenny. Often of English origin. See Meath and Cork.	MacCowley A variant of MacAuley in Donegal.
Cox Anglicised from MacQuilly and popular in Roscommon area.	MacCoy An anglicised form of MacAodh (son of Hugh). Mainly found in Derry and Antrim.
MacCoyle MacGiolla Chomhgaill (devotee of St Comgal). Popular in counties Donegal, Tyrone and Monaghan.	O’Coyne O’Cadhain meaning wild goose. Connected to Kyne and Kilcoyne. Numerous in Mayo. Also in Meath and Westmeath.
MacCracken Connected to MacNaughton and found in Antrim and Derry.	Craddock An influential family who arrived from Wales.
Crahan Linked to MacCrohan in Kerry and O’Creaghan in Mayo.	Craig From the Scottish word crag and very numerous in Ulster.
Craney Often MacCranny, also Crany and Creaney. Down and Armagh names.	Craughwell As the town of the same name suggests from east Galway.
Craven Somtimes English but more often from the Galway O’Crabhain. Found here and in Roscommon. Also north Louth. Linked to Creavan.	Crawford An Ulster name.
MacCrawley Usually titled Crawley and found in Armagh, Down and Louth.	MacCrea A Scottish name common in Ulster.
MacCready Originating in Raphoe, Co. Donegal. Linked to MacConready in Derry.	Creagh Found in Clare-Limerick area. Connected to the O’Neills.
Crean See also Creaghan and Crehan. Meaning O’Croidheáin (heart). A Donegal sept with links in Sligo. Crehan is popular in Clare-Galway area.	Creavan See Craven, or Creavin.
Creed Or Creedon and associated with Cork.	MacCreery A variant of MacRuaidhri meaning MacRory and found in Tyrone and Antrim.
MacCreesh A wing of the powerful MacGuinness clan and found in the Oriel counties, especially Armagh.	MacCreevy See MacGreevy.
Cregan Fairly widespread often spelt Creegan in Connacht.	Cregg Associated with Roscommon
Creighton Scottish but sometimes linked to Creaghan and Crehan.	Cremin A branch of the MacCarthys and found mostly in Kerry. Often spelt Cremins.
Creenan Linked to Crinion and also counties Kilkenny and Laois.	Crennigan Found in the north midland counties of Westmeath, Roscommon and Longford. Also Crinnigan.
Cribben A Mayo name.	MacCrifferty Linked to Fermanagh, sometimes titled Clifford.
MacCrilly An Oriel family. Possibly related to Crawley. See Down.	MacCrinion Popular in Meath.
Croffy Found in east Galway.	Crofton English and although family originally settled in Connacht, nowadays found mostly in Leinster area.
MacCrohan Related to the O’Sullivans. A west Kerry sept based on the Dingle peninsula.	Crolly Connected to Crilly in Oriel counties and Crowley further south.
Cromie Or Crombie. Recorded around Newry area. Scottish origin but sometimes O’Cromy in Armagh.	Cromwell An English name seen in parts of east Meath.
Cronan A variant of Cronin in Tipperary.	Cronekan Claims that it is from O’Crónmhacháin around the Youghal area of east Cork.
Cronelly Or Cronley, recorded in the Offaly area.	Cronin From Crón which means brown or dark. An erenagh family from Gougane Barra on the Cork-Kerry border who have spread their wings into neighbouring areas of Munster.
Cronogue Connected to Leitrim.	Crosbie Sometimes Crosby. An English name but also an anglicisation of MacCrossan. Seen in Meath.
MacCrossan Once from along Laois-Offaly border but nowadays most popular in the northern counties like Donegal. Usually spelt Crossan.	Crotty Originally a Limerick-Clare sept which migrated to Waterford area.
MacCroughan A variant of Crohan.	Crowe Related to MacEnroe and found in Cavan. See also Clare.
Crowley O’Cruadhlaoich, meaning hard (cruadh) while laoch is hero. A well known Cork name.	MacCrowne Also Croan and found in Roscommon.
MacCrudden MacRodáin is a Donegal name since changed to Rudden in Cavan.	Crumley Or Cromley is found in Donegal and Derry.
MacCrumlish Has Donegal connections.	Cryan Connected to Crean in Roscommon.
Cuddihy Cuidigtheach means helper and Cuddy is a popular Laois-Kilkenny name.	Cuddy See Cuddihy.
MacCue Linked to MacLoo and MacHugh in Fermanagh and Donegal.	Cuffe Of different origins. Probably English.
Cuggeran Found in Clare.	Culhane An anglicisation of O’Cathaláin in Limerick. Or Cohalan in Cork.
Culhoun Linked to Cullen.	MacCullagh Mac Con Uladh is the hound of Ulster. Spelling MacCulloch is usually Scottish.
MacCullen Found in Monaghan but sometimes as MacQuillan or MacCollin.	O’Cullen A very popular name in Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow.
Culleton Both Mac and O and associated with the south east.	Culligan Linked to Quilligan and Colgan. Map see Clare also Cavan.
Cullinan Originally from south west Cork, it is spelt Cullinane in Clare and Tipperary.	Culloty From codladh (sleep) and a Kerry-west Cork name.
Cully On record in the north east.	MacCulready A branch of the O’Rourkes found in Longford-Leitrim area. Sometimes anglicised to Gray.
Cummins See Commons.	Cunnea Or Conney. Found in Donegal where it is sometimes changed to Quinn.
MacCunneen A Mayo family, sometimes changed to Rabbit in Galway.	O’Cunneen Originated in Clare-Limerick and midlands. Still found in Westmeath-Offaly area and again sometimes changed to Rabbit.
Cunnegan Both Mac and O and a Galway name.	MacCunniff From MacCondarbh (black hound). Associated with Kinniff, MacNiff, Cudda, MacAdoo, MacEndoo or MacAniff. See Donegal.
Cunningham From a Scottish family who settled in Donegal and used as an anglicised version for many Irish names.	MacCualahan See Offaly. The Os are linked to Mayo.
MacCurley Linked to the Ulster version Turley, Curley is associated with Mayo, Galway and Roscommon.	Curnane Often changed to Courtney. See Kerry.
Curran Originally Tipperary and Waterford. Numerous variants. Linked to Maddens in Galway. Popular enough in Kerry.	MacCurry Connected to MacCorry.
MacCurtin Often used with the prefix O and mostly associated with Cork and Kerry.	Curtis An English name common enough in Meath.
Cusack A Norman family but Cusack in Clare is of different origin and comes from the Irish MacIosóg. On record in Cavan.	MacCushely From Tyrone, linked to Costello and changed to Cosgrave in Monaghan.
Cushing Related to Cussen and found in south eastern counties.	Cushnahane From O’Cosnacháin (defender). Found in Antrim area.
MacCusker Sometimes without prefix Mac further south they are a branch of the MacGuires of Breffni.	Cussane Found in Galway.
Cussen Of Norman extraction sometimes changes to Cousins.	MacCutcheon A branch of the Scottish clan MacDonald and found in Ulster.