Why does a surname have more than one Irish form or more than one place of origin?
Often because the same English spelling covers different families. Woulfe records single names borne by separate septs in different districts, each with its own Irish original, and planter or Norman families could take, or be given, a spelling that matched an older Gaelic name. One Irish original could also be anglicised several ways as clerks wrote what they heard. A surname page therefore gives a lead, not a verdict: the heartland, the Irish form and the records for a specific family have to agree before an origin can be claimed for that family.
Useful pages: The Irish surnames map · Trace your Irish roots · The 1926 Census guide · Coming home · Irish around the world · Plan your journey
Sources
- R. E. Matheson, Special Report on Surnames in Ireland; Patrick Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
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