Hi Pam, Thank you for getting in touch. I have passed on your query and contact info to one of my colleagues who will be in touch with the O'Grady Arms. All the best from sunny Dublin!
Tracing Your Irish Roots
Written by Ciaran on Aug 15, 2023 | 10 Comments
Over the years, we've had the wonderful privilege to work with people tracing their Irish roots or connecting with their newly discovered Irish Heritage. Whether identified through genealogy research or genetic services like 23andMe and ancestry.com, it's never been easier to uncover the Irish roots of your family tree.
Family History
And it turns out if you have an Irish surname to go on you can learn quite a bit about your heritage. According to Dr Edward McLysaght, an expert in Irish surnames, "one’s surname is one’s most important family heirloom."
Famous Families
And our many years working with Irish Family Crest Jewellery has given us a little insight into wonderful Irish surnames and genealogy. The ‘O’ and ‘Mac’ in Irish surnames may appear and disappear going back through time and spellings might change, but the origins and meanings of the names themselves can usually be uncovered.
Common Irish Surnames
Below are a few of the most common Irish surnames we've come across in our years working in heraldic jewellery.
Murphy (ó Murchadha) - The Sea Warrior
As you might expect given the meaning behind the name, ancestors of the now numerous Murphy dynasty are largely found near the Irish coast. There are four or five different centres for those with the surname Murphy. The most prevalent are in the coastal counties of Cork and Wexford.
And although the Murphy coat of arms can vary slightly with location, the main elements include a shield motif with two rows of two lions (representing courageous warriors) separated by a row of three wheat sheafs (symbolising bounty).
Walsh (Breathnach) - “Welshman” or “Briton
Encompassing Walsh, Walshe, Brannagh, Brunnock, Brannick, Wallace, and even Wallis, holders of this surname, not surprisingly, trace their deep roots to the UK. But there are also many with the Walsh name in Ireland, especially in counties Mayo and Kilkenny.
The three spear heads on the Walsh shield represent readiness for military action and the chevron typically represents protection or a roof.
O’Brien ( ó Briain) - 'exalted one' or 'noble'.
With ties to the great Irish High King, Brian Boru, the O’Brien shield motif is simple and iconic, with three lions stacked vertically. So brave warriors through and through!
Descendant from the famous 10th century King, O’Briens are found throughout Ireland but especially Munster in Counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. And this all conquering family are responsible for several impressive forts and castles still standing in Ireland.
There are also many variations of this famous name including O'Bryan, O'Bryen, Brian, Bryan, Bryant, Brien, Briant and Bryans!
The Bryan family Coat of Arms
O’Neill (Ui Néill) - from Nial of the nine hostages
Another of the Great old families of Ireland and more opportunities to get muddled up. There are many, sometimes conflicting, stories of the O’Neill dynasty! But what is not in dispute is that they draw their origins from an ancient Irish King Niall or Noígíallach, with a stronghold in Ulster.
Indeed the red hand of the Ulster flag is taken from the O’Neill coat of arms. With roots in Tyrone, Derry and Donegal, the O’Neills have a distinctive shield motif that depicts water. And the water at the bottom of the O'Neill shield is home to a fish, representing royalty and knowledge. Above it, the open hand is flanked by two lions, warriors again, with a row of three stars with curved tips representing God’s goodness and grace.
Variations include O'Neal, O'Neil, Ó Neill, Ó Néill, Ua Néill, Uí Néill and Neill.
Your Own Family Coat of Arms
Of course this is just a taste of the stories that are wrapped up in Irish family names. There are wonderful stories like this and beautiful Coat of Arms buried in history for many Irish Surnames. So if you uncover an Irish root or two in your own family tree and are curious to see your own Coat of Arms, please do get in touch.
Heraldry is a keen passion of ours and we would be delighted to share that passion and help you in uncovering this piece of your own family legacy.
Family Crest Range
Get In Touch
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
Comments
Our family has been trying to trace back our Irish/Scottish roots. The farthest we can go back is with my great, great grandfather William Charles Eglinton who was married to Caroline Fairbanks. Any help would be helpful. Thank you
Hi Marie, thank you for getting in touch. Well done on getting that many generations back! I'm afraid we are not genealogists but you may want to try https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/ for more on your Irish roots if you have not already checked there.
I am 60% Irish with the rest Scottish and Welsh. Does the name Dedmon have a crest?
Hi Pat, Thanks for reading and reaching out! I've passed your information on to our Customer Service team who will be in touch. It's just fantastic that you are so in touch with your roots -- we're delighted that you shared that with us and thank you for it! Cheers, Liz
Hi my name is Jocelyn K Casey. I wanted to know who we’re really are my ancestors back then because I actually have Scottish Whelcsh Derman and of course English. So I really don’t have a clue who are my ancestors and how far back they were and if any of them did anything outstanding and heroic Thank you Sincerely Jocelyn Casey
Hi Joceyln, Wow! It sounds like you have a really interesting journey ahead of you. We'd recommend consulting a professional genealogist to get started -- they're such a great resource for helping to paint a picture of where "we" come from as families. If there's ever anything we can do to help when you've started to put together those strands, please let us know! We'd be happy to help you celebrate your heritage. All the best, Liz
interested in the Foley family name...
history, surnames, ?
Hi Rick, Thanks for reading and leaving us a note! It's fantastic that you're interested in learning more about your family name. We recommend researching with a genealogist -- they are a wonderful resource for painting a family history portrait. Best of luck! Liz
Ask Gemma
Interested in Grady coat of arms jewlry.was probably O 'grady in Ireland