Irish surnames
O'Brien, Murphy, Kelly
Irish surnames typically begin with O' (meaning "grandson of") or Mc/Mac (meaning "son of"), reflecting Gaelic patronymic traditions: O'Brien, McCarthy, MacDonald.
Many were anglicized during British rule, obscuring their origins—Ó Súilleabháin became Sullivan, Ó Murchadha became Murphy.
Common Irish surnames like Kelly, Ryan, and Walsh now appear throughout the English-speaking world due to emigration.
- O'BrienIrish patronymic surname
- AnglicizationAdapting to English conventions
- name changeModifying one's designation
- MacApple's computer line
- surnameHereditary family identifier
Murphy · O'Neill · family crest · family name · genealogy · parish records · old country · Cork · Byrne · Patronymic · Kelly · Heraldry · Gaelic roots · diaspora · Kerry · Gallagher · last name · Fitzpatrick
- Celtic DiasporaCeltic heritage, potato famine, coffin ships, immigration waves, heritage societies
- surnamesSmith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Jones
- Celtic languagesWelsh, Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic, Manx, Cornish
- Irish Diasporaemigration, coffin ships, chain migration, Great Famine, immigration waves
- Scottish heritageScottish clans, highland clans, Campbell, MacDonald, Stewart
Irish surnamesgiven names
Individual's personal appellations
forenames · first names · baptismal names · nicknames · pet names