Irish Last Names and Their Meanings: A Comprehensive Guide

Discover the rich history and symbolism behind Irish last names! This comprehensive guide explores the origins and meanings of over 40 common and unique Irish surnames, offering a fascinating glimpse into the cultural heritage and linguistic traditions of Ireland. Whether you're tracing your ancestry, seeking inspiration for a fictional character, or simply curious about the meaning behind your own last name, this list provides insightful details and captivating stories behind these iconic Irish surnames.
1. **Abernathy:** From the Gaelic "Abhainn a' Bhatha," meaning "river of the bath" or "river of the ford."
2. **Aherne:** Derived from the Irish "Ó hEirne," meaning "descendant of Eirne," a legendary figure in Irish mythology.
3. **Allen:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAilín," meaning "descendant of Ailín," a common Irish personal name.
4. **Anderson:** A variant of the Scottish surname, originating from the place name "Anderston," meaning "Andrew's town."
5. **Andrews:** An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó hAodha," meaning "descendant of Aodh," a common Irish name meaning "fire" or "passion."
6. **Archibald:** Of German origin, meaning "bold ruler" or "true ruler," but commonly found in Ireland as an Anglicized version of the Gaelic "Aodh," meaning "fire" or "passion."
7. **Armstrong:** A Scottish surname, meaning "strong arm" or "strong man," adopted by some Irish families.
8. **Arnold:** A Germanic name meaning "eagle power," often adopted by Irish families through intermarriage or migration.
9. **Barry:** From the Gaelic "Ó Baoill," meaning "descendant of Baill," a legendary figure in Irish mythology.
10. **Bates:** An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó Bát," meaning "descendant of Bát," a common Irish personal name.
11. **Beatty:** From the Gaelic "Ó Beátha," meaning "descendant of Béatha," a common Irish personal name.
12. **Bell:** From the Gaelic "Ó Beolláin," meaning "descendant of Beollán," a common Irish personal name.
13. **Bennett:** An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó Beannait," meaning "descendant of Beannait," a common Irish personal name.
14. **Bergin:** From the Gaelic "Ó Beargáin," meaning "descendant of Beargán," a common Irish personal name.
15. **Blake:** From the Gaelic "Ó Blathmhaic," meaning "descendant of Blathmhac," a common Irish personal name.
16. **Bloom:** From the Gaelic "Ó Bláth," meaning "descendant of Bláth," a common Irish personal name.
17. **Bolton:** An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó Bótha," meaning "descendant of Bótha," a common Irish personal name.
18. **Brady:** From the Gaelic "Ó Bradaigh," meaning "descendant of Bradaigh," a common Irish personal name.
19. **Brennan:** From the Gaelic "Ó Braonáin," meaning "descendant of Braonán," a common Irish personal name.
20. **Brooks:** An Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó Bruach," meaning "descendant of Bruach," a common Irish personal name.
21. **Brown:** An English surname, meaning "brown-haired" or "brown-skinned," adopted by some Irish families.
22. **Bryan:** From the Gaelic "Ó Briain," meaning "descendant of Brian," a legendary Irish king.
23. **Burke:** From the Gaelic "Ó Buachalla," meaning "descendant of Buachalla," a common Irish personal name.
24. **Burns:** From the Gaelic "Ó Burn," meaning "descendant of Burn," a common Irish personal name.
25. **Byrne:** From the Gaelic "Ó Briain," meaning "descendant of Brian," a legendary Irish king.
26. **Campbell:** A Scottish surname, meaning "crooked mouth," adopted by some Irish families.
27. **Carey:** From the Gaelic "Ó Cearbhaill," meaning "descendant of Cearbhaill," a common Irish personal name.
28. **Carroll:** From the Gaelic "Ó Carraoll," meaning "descendant of Carraoll," a common Irish personal name.
29. **Casey:** From the Gaelic "Ó Casaide," meaning "descendant of Casaide," a common Irish personal name.
30. **Cassidy:** From the Gaelic "Ó Caiside," meaning "descendant of Caiside," a common Irish personal name.
31. **Cavanagh:** From the Gaelic "Ó Cahanáin," meaning "descendant of Cahanán," a common Irish personal name.
32. **Clancy:** From the Gaelic "Ó Clannchaigh," meaning "descendant of Clannchaigh," a common Irish personal name.
33. **Clarke:** From the Gaelic "Ó Cláir," meaning "descendant of Cláir," a common Irish personal name.
34. **Coffey:** From the Gaelic "Ó Coifí," meaning "descendant of Coifí," a common Irish personal name.
35. **Coleman:** From the Gaelic "Ó Coileáin," meaning "descendant of Coileán," a common Irish personal name.
36. **Collins:** From the Gaelic "Ó Colla," meaning "descendant of Colla," a common Irish personal name.
37. **Conley:** From the Gaelic "Ó Conghaile," meaning "descendant of Conghaile," a common Irish personal name.
38. **Connolly:** From the Gaelic "Ó Conchobhair," meaning "descendant of Conchobhair," a legendary Irish king.
39. **Connor:** From the Gaelic "Ó Conchobhair," meaning "descendant of Conchobhair," a legendary Irish king.
40. **Coogan:** From the Gaelic "Ó Cuagain," meaning "descendant of Cuagain," a common Irish personal name.
41. **Cooley:** From the Gaelic "Ó Cuileáin," meaning "descendant of Cuileán," a common Irish personal name.
42. **Coyle:** From the Gaelic "Ó Coileáin," meaning "descendant of Coileán," a common Irish personal name.
43. **Cronin:** From the Gaelic "Ó Crónín," meaning "descendant of Crónín," a common Irish personal name.
44. **Culligan:** From the Gaelic "Ó Cuilleanáin," meaning "descendant of Cuilleanán," a common Irish personal name.
45. **Cunningham:** From the Gaelic "Ó Cuinneagáin," meaning "descendant of Cuinneagán," a common Irish personal name.
46. **Daly:** From the Gaelic "Ó Dálaigh," meaning "descendant of Dálaigh," a common Irish personal name.
47. **Dillon:** From the Gaelic "Ó Dúill," meaning "descendant of Dúill," a common Irish personal name.
48. **Donovan:** From the Gaelic "Ó Domhnaill," meaning "descendant of Domhnall," a common Irish personal name.
49. **Dowling:** From the Gaelic "Ó Dubhthaigh," meaning "descendant of Dubhthaigh," a common Irish personal name.
50. **Duffy:** From the Gaelic "Ó Dubhthaigh," meaning "descendant of Dubhthaigh," a common Irish personal name.
51. **Dwyer:** From the Gaelic "Ó Dubhthaigh," meaning "descendant of Dubhthaigh," a common Irish personal name.
52. **Egan:** From the Gaelic "Ó hEagain," meaning "descendant of Eagain," a common Irish personal name.
53. **Ellis:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAilís," meaning "descendant of Ailís," a common Irish personal name.
54. **English:** An English surname, meaning "someone from England," adopted by some Irish families.
55. **Farrell:** From the Gaelic "Ó Fearghail," meaning "descendant of Fearghal," a common Irish personal name.
56. **Fee:** From the Gaelic "Ó Fí," meaning "descendant of Fí," a common Irish personal name.
57. **Fitzgerald:** From the Gaelic "Mac Gearailt," meaning "son of Gerald," a common Irish personal name.
58. **Fitzpatrick:** From the Gaelic "Mac Pádraig," meaning "son of Patrick," a common Irish personal name.
59. **Flanagan:** From the Gaelic "Ó Flannagáin," meaning "descendant of Flannagán," a common Irish personal name.
60. **Flynn:** From the Gaelic "Ó Floinn," meaning "descendant of Floinn," a common Irish personal name.
61. **Ford:** From the Gaelic "Ó Fórd," meaning "descendant of Fórd," a common Irish personal name.
62. **Fox:** From the Gaelic "Ó Foighse," meaning "descendant of Foighse," a common Irish personal name.
63. **Gallagher:** From the Gaelic "Ó Gallchóir," meaning "descendant of Gallchóir," a common Irish personal name.
64. **Gannon:** From the Gaelic "Ó Ganain," meaning "descendant of Ganain," a common Irish personal name.
65. **Gardner:** From the Gaelic "Ó Garda," meaning "descendant of Garda," a common Irish personal name.
66. **Garvey:** From the Gaelic "Ó Gearbhuí," meaning "descendant of Gearbhuí," a common Irish personal name.
67. **Gibbons:** From the Gaelic "Ó Giobúin," meaning "descendant of Giobúin," a common Irish personal name.
68. **Gill:** From the Gaelic "Ó Giolla," meaning "descendant of Giolla," a common Irish personal name.
69. **Gilligan:** From the Gaelic "Ó Giollagáin," meaning "descendant of Giollagán," a common Irish personal name.
70. **Gleeson:** From the Gaelic "Ó Glaisín," meaning "descendant of Glaisín," a common Irish personal name.
71. **Goldsmith:** From the Gaelic "Ó Óir," meaning "descendant of Óir," a common Irish personal name.
72. **Goodwin:** From the Gaelic "Ó Godhún," meaning "descendant of Godhún," a common Irish personal name.
73. **Grady:** From the Gaelic "Ó Grádaigh," meaning "descendant of Grádaigh," a common Irish personal name.
74. **Graham:** A Scottish surname, meaning "gravelly field," adopted by some Irish families.
75. **Grant:** A Scottish surname, meaning "great," adopted by some Irish families.
76. **Gray:** An English surname, meaning "grey-haired," adopted by some Irish families.
77. **Green:** An English surname, meaning "green," adopted by some Irish families.
78. **Griffin:** From the Gaelic "Ó Gríofa," meaning "descendant of Gríofa," a common Irish personal name.
79. **Guinness:** From the Gaelic "Ó Guinneasa," meaning "descendant of Guinneasa," a common Irish personal name.
80. **Halloran:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAllmhuráin," meaning "descendant of Allmhurán," a common Irish personal name.
81. **Hanley:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAnlaigh," meaning "descendant of Anlaigh," a common Irish personal name.
82. **Harrington:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAoireagain," meaning "descendant of Aoireagán," a common Irish personal name.
83. **Harris:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAirt," meaning "descendant of Airt," a common Irish personal name.
84. **Harrison:** From the Gaelic "Ó hArsaigh," meaning "descendant of Arsaigh," a common Irish personal name.
85. **Hart:** From the Gaelic "Ó hArtaigh," meaning "descendant of Artaigh," a common Irish personal name.
86. **Harvey:** From the Gaelic "Ó hEarcaigh," meaning "descendant of Earcaigh," a common Irish personal name.
87. **Hayes:** From the Gaelic "Ó hÉigeartaigh," meaning "descendant of Éigeartach," a common Irish personal name.
88. **Healy:** From the Gaelic "Ó hÉalaí," meaning "descendant of Éalaí," a common Irish personal name.
89. **Hennessy:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAonghusa," meaning "descendant of Aonghus," a common Irish personal name.
90. **Henry:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAinri," meaning "descendant of Ainri," a common Irish personal name.
91. **Herbert:** A Germanic name, meaning "bright warrior," adopted by some Irish families.
92. **Higgins:** From the Gaelic "Ó hÍgín," meaning "descendant of Ígín," a common Irish personal name.
93. **Hill:** From the Gaelic "Ó Cnoc," meaning "descendant of Cnoc," a common Irish personal name.
94. **Hogan:** From the Gaelic "Ó hÓgáin," meaning "descendant of Ógán," a common Irish personal name.
95. **Holland:** From the Gaelic "Ó hUallacháin," meaning "descendant of Uallachán," a common Irish personal name.
96. **Holmes:** From the Gaelic "Ó hAilm," meaning "descendant of Ailm," a common Irish personal name.
97. **Horan:** From the Gaelic "Ó hUatháin," meaning "descendant of Uathán," a common Irish personal name.
98. **Hughes:** From the Gaelic "Ó hUigín," meaning "descendant of Uigín," a common Irish personal name.
99. **Hunter:** From the Gaelic "Ó Caomhánach," meaning "descendant of Caomhánach," a common Irish personal name.
100. **Hurley:** From the Gaelic "Ó hUigín," meaning "descendant of Uigín," a common Irish personal name.