Murphy is an Irish surname.
Dempsey is a surname of Irish origin.
Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to the 17th century. A clan included the chief and his patrilineal relatives; however, Irish clans also included unrelated clients of the chief.
Shanahan is a surname of Irish origin.
Griffin is a surname of Irish, English and Welsh origin. Griffin was the 75th most common surname on the island of Ireland in 1891. It was estimated in 2000 that Griffin is the 114th most common surname in the U.S., with a population in the order of two hundred thousand.
The Uí Ceinselaig, from the Old Irish "grandsons of Cennsalach", are an Irish dynasty of Leinster who trace their descent from Énnae Cennsalach, a supposed contemporary of Niall of the Nine Hostages. Énda was said to be a grandson of Bressal Bélach and a first cousin of Dúnlaing mac Énda Niada, eponymous ancestor of the rival Uí Dúnlainge.
Cavanagh or Cavanaugh is a surname of Irish origin, a variation of the Irish family surname Caomhánach.
Horan is a surname that originated in County Galway, Ireland, and from there spread into County Mayo. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Horans were one of the chiefly families of the Uí Mháine who in turn were a tribe of the Dumnonii or Laigin who were the third wave of Celts to settle in Ireland during the first century BC.
Garvey and O'Garvey are Irish surnames, derived from the Gaelic Ó Gairbhith, also spelt Ó Gairbheith, meaning "descendant of Gairbhith". Gairbhith itself means "rough peace".
Mulcahy is a surname of Irish Gaelic origin. The anglicized form of "Ó Maolchatha" which in Gaelic means 'a descendant of a devotee of Cathach', a personal name meaning Warlike. The name is thought to originate in County Tipperary, however the earliest mention of the family appears in the Annals of Inisfallen in 1317 AD and subsequent references in and around the Churches of County Kerry in the 15th century.
Kavanagh or Kavanaugh is a surname of Irish origin, Caomhánach in Irish. It is one of the few Irish surnames that does not traditionally have an O or a Mac in either English or Irish.
McGowan is an Irish and Scottish surname. It is an Anglicization of the Irish Mac Gabhann and Scottish Mac Gobhann, both of which mean 'son of (the) smith'. Belonging to the Uí Echach Cobo, located in modern-day western County Down, Ulster, they were of the same stock as the McGuinness clan.
Phelan is an Irish surname, one of the two most common anglicisations of the Irish surname Ó Faoláin. The name is commonly seen in the south-east of Ireland, particularly counties Waterford and Kilkenny. Other anglicised forms include Felan and Faelan.
The O'Toole family of County Wicklow, formerly one of the leading clans of Leinster, descended from Tuathal mac Augaire, King of Leinster, of the Uí Muiredaig branch of the Uí Dúnlainge dynasty.
Dowling is an Irish surname. It is an anglicised form representing two unrelated clans:
Kelly is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a partially anglicised version of older Irish names and has numerous origins, most notably from the Ui Maine. In some cases it is derived from toponyms located in Ireland and Great Britain; in other cases it is derived from patronyms in the Irish language.
Heffernan is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó hIfearnáin, which comes from the byname Ifearnán literally meaning 'little demon' or more metaphorically 'daredevil'. Heffernan gives rise to alternatives such as Heffernon and Hefferan. The name sometimes contains the O' prefix. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Heffermans were the chiefly family of the Uaithni who were a tribe of the Erainn who were the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland between about 500 and 100 BC.
Cullen is an Irish surname. It is an Anglicised form of Gaelic Ó Cuileáin 'descendant of Cuileán', a name meaning 'wolfhound whelp', 'young hound'. It is also considered by some to mean the 'handsome one'. The Uí Cuileáin of County Tyrone were erenaghs of Clogher. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Cullanes were one of the chiefly families of the Uí Fidgenti who were a tribe of the Erainn who were the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland between about 500 and 100 BC.
Donnelly is an Irish surname. Also used as: O’Donnelly or Donley. It is derived from the Gaelic Ó Donnghaile meaning 'descendant of Donnghal', a given name composed of the elements donn and gal ('valour'). O'Donnelly was historically of the Northern Uí Néill's Cenél nEoghain, descended from Donnghal, the great-grandson of Domhnall, King of Ailech.
O'Driscoll is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic Ó hEidirsceoil. The O'Driscolls were rulers of the Dáirine sept of the Corcu Loígde until the early modern period; their ancestors were Kings of Munster until the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century. At the start of the 13th century, three prominent branches of the family came into existence: O'Driscoll Mor, O'Driscoll Og, and O'Driscoll Beara. The Ó prefix was dropped by many in Ireland during the 17th and 18th centuries. The surname is now most prominent in the Irish counties of Cork and Kerry.
