Irish Surnames and Their Counties

When a new reader signs up for our weekly  Letter from Ireland – we ask them to supply the Irish surnames in their family tree AND the county their ancestor emigrated from. So far we have collected over 21,000 Irish entries in our database of Irish surnames representing over 3,750 different surnames. If you’d like to join us and receive your FREE weekly letter from Ireland, simply click here to sign up.

In this article, I would like to give you an overview of the surnames and counties that have been provided by our email subscribers – with some nice pictorials! First of all, you can see ALL of the Irish surnames in our database at the top of the page. Now, remember that there are 21,000 separate entries so you cannot see them all. The size of the name matches the number of times that name pops up with our readers – so you can see that Murphy, Kelly and Sullivan are clear winners there!

Irish Surnames Overview.

Ok, now – let’s build things up slowly. The next graphic shows you all of Ireland’s 32 counties. You see, when someone provides us with the surname of an Irish ancestor, we also ask them which county they came from. Given that over 98% of our audience now live outside the island of Ireland, this is a good representation of where the Irish Diaspora has its roots in Ireland.

County Cork is, by a long shot, the main producer of the Irish Diaspora down through the centuries and decades.

Now, let’s get back to those surnames.

The following are just the top 25 Irish surnames from our readers. Each one typically show up more than 100 times in our database. Is your Irish surname here?

Like to add your Irish surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here. 

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Let’s have a look at even more detail. The following are the 100 most popular surnames among our readers – a real spread from all around the country. We see names that are native Irish Gaelic, names that are Scots originally and some English/Scottish planter names. And just a few Norman and Viking surnames thrown in. Typically Irish!

Finally, here are the top 250 Irish surname among our readers – this is probably as detailed as we can get AND allow you to read all the names. Is your Irish surname here? (Click on picture to enlarge).

Irish County Surnames.

One of the things we invite our readers to do when they want to find out more about their Irish Heritage, is to pass on the names of their ancestors and the counties they come from (if known). We have been doing this since 2013 and now (December, 2016) have over 19,000 individuals on the list.

Here are the names that were submitted. Bear the following in mind as you scan through the names:

• They are segmented by county of origin (NOT necessarily where a surname originally came from, but where the reader says their ancestor came from). This means that some names will appear in multiple counties.
• You will see just what percentage of our total list of names came from each of the 32 counties.
• I have included the population of each county in 1841 (when the population was at its highest across most of the island) and 1961 (when the population was at it’s lowest). This gives you an idea of the relative size of each county as well as the effect of famine and emigration on the population between those two years.

County Antrim Surnames.

4.8% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Antrim. The county had a population of 361,000 in 1841. This had increased to 690,000 by 1961 (this is complicated by the later creation of the ‘County borough of Belfast’—I included it here as part of County Antrim).

County Antrim has the distinction of having the highest number of different surnames on the island of Ireland. In other counties, there are many dominant Irish Gaelic surnames that cover percentages of the population. However, Antrim has a history of being ‘planted’ by individual families carrying many distinct surnames from Scotland and England.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Antrim? (Click on picture to enlarge).

Like to add your County Antrim surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here. 

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County Armagh Surnames.

2.2% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Armagh. The county had a population of 232,000 in 1841. This had declined to 117,000 by 1961.

A very ancient part of Ireland—home to many of our myths and contains the cathedral city of Armagh. Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Armagh—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Armagh?

Like to add your County Armagh surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here. 

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County Carlow Surnames.

0.8% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Carlow. The county had a population of 86,000 in 1841. This had declined to 33,000 by 1961.

Carlow town was once the capital of Ireland. A small, but varied, landlocked county. Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Carlow—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Carlow?

Like to add your County Carlow surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Cavan Surnames.

2.5% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Cavan. The county had a population of 243,000 in 1841. This had declined to 57,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Cavan—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Cavan?

Like to add your County Cavan surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Clare Surnames.

5.7% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Clare. The county had a population of 286,000 in 1841. This had declined to 74,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Clare—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Clare?

Like to add your County Clare surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Cork Surnames.

15.6% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Cork. The county had a population of 854,000 in 1841. This had declined to 330,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Cork—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration. 

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Cork?

Like to add your County Cork surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Derry Surnames.

1.5% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Derry. The county had a population of 222,000 in 1841. This had declined to 165,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Derry—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration. 

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Derry?

Like to add your County Derry surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here. 

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County Donegal Surnames.

5.6% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Donegal. The county had a population of 296,000 in 1841. This had declined to 114,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Donegal—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration. 

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Donegal?

Like to add your County Donegal surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Down Surnames.

2.9% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Down. The county had a population of 361,000 in 1841. This had declined to 267,000 by 1961 (I included the County Borough of Belfast under County Antrim).

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Down—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration. 

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Down?

Like to add your County Down surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Dublin Surnames.

2.8% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Dublin. The county had a population of 372,000 in 1841. This had increased to 718,000 by 1961. Dublin city saw a huge amount of inward migration from the countryside over this time. As a result, many Irish surnames are most numerous today in the Capital city as opposed to their original territory.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Dublin—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration. 

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Dublin?

Like to add your County Dublin surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Fermanagh Surnames.

1.9% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Fermanagh. The county had a population of 156,000 in 1841. This had declined to 52,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Fermanagh—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration. 

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Fermanagh?

Like to add your County Fermanagh surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Galway Surnames.

5.3% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Galway. The county had a population of 440,000 in 1841. This had declined to 149,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Galway—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration. 

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Galway?

Like to add your County Galway surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Kerry Surnames.

5.5% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Kerry. The county had a population of 293,000 in 1841. This had declined to 116,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Kerry—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Kerry?

Like to add your County Kerry surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Kildare Surnames.

0.8% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Kildare. The county had a population of 114,000 in 1841. This had declined to 64,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Kildare—they believe that their ancestor lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Kildare?

Like to add your County Kildare surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Kilkenny Surnames.

2.3% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Kilkenny. The county had a population of 202,000 in 1841. This had declined to 61,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Kilkenny—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Kilkenny?

Like to add your County Kilkenny surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Laois (also known as Queen’s County) Surnames.

0.9% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Laois. The county had a population of 153,000 in 1841. This had declined to 45,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Laois—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Laois?

Like to add your County Laois surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Leitrim Surnames.

1.7% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Leitrim. The county had a population of 155,000 in 1841. This had declined to 33,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Leitrim—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Leitrim?

Like to add your County Leitrim surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Limerick Surnames.

3.3% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Limerick. The county had a population of 330,000 in 1841. This had declined to 133,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Limerick—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Limerick?

Like to add your County Limerick surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Longford Surnames.

1.2% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Longford. The county had a population of 115,000 in 1841. This had declined to 31,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Longford—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Longford?

Like to add your County Longford surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Louth Surnames.

0.8% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Louth. The county had a population of 128,000 in 1841. This had declined to 67,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Louth—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Louth?

Like to add your County Louth surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Mayo Surnames.

9.1% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Mayo. The county had a population of 388,000 in 1841. This had declined to 123,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Mayo—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Mayo?

Like to add your County Mayo surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here. 

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County Meath Surnames.

1.2% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Meath. The county had a population of 183,000 in 1841. This had declined to 65,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Meath—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration. 

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Meath?

Like to add your County Meath surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Monaghan Surnames.

1.4% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Monaghan. The county had a population of 200,000 in 1841. This had declined to 47,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Monaghan—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Monaghan?

Like to add your County Monaghan surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Offaly (also known as King’s County) Surnames.

0.9% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Offaly. The county had a population of 147,000 in 1841. This had declined to 52,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Offaly—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Offaly?

Like to add your County Offaly surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Roscommon Surnames.

2.5% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Roscommon. The county had a population of 254,000 in 1841. This had declined to 59,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Roscommon—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Roscommon?

Like to add your County Roscommon surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Sligo Surnames.

2.6% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Sligo. The county had a population of 180,000 in 1841. This had declined to 54,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Sligo—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Sligo?

Like to add your County Sligo surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Tipperary Surnames.

4.7% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Tipperary. The county had a population of 435,000 in 1841. This had declined to 123,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Tipperary—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Tipperary?

Like to add your County Tipperary surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Tyrone Surnames.

2.9% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Tyrone. The county had a population of 313,000 in 1841. This had declined to 134,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Tyrone—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Tyrone?

Like to add your County Tyrone surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Waterford Surnames.

1.7% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Waterford. The county had a population of 196,000 in 1841. This had declined to 71,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Waterford—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Waterford?

Like to add your County Waterford surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Westmeath Surnames.

1.5% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Westmeath. The county had a population of 141,000 in 1841. This had declined to 53,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Westmeath—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Westmeath?

Like to add your County Westmeath surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Wexford Surnames.

2.2% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Wexford. The county had a population of 202,000 in 1841. This had declined to 83,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Wexford—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Wexford?

Like to add your County Wexford surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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County Wicklow Surnames.

0.8% of our reader’s ancestors came from County Wicklow. The county had a population of 126,000 in 1841. This had declined to 58,000 by 1961.

Here are the names submitted by our readers for County Wicklow—they believe that their ancestors lived in this county before emigration.

Did any of your Irish ancestors come from County Wicklow?

Like to add your County Wicklow surname to our list? Just signup for your free weekly Letter from Ireland by clicking here.

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Want to find out what the top 10 Irish surnames are? – click here to find out.

So, that’s it for this Irish surname update. Remember, if you would like to add your surname to our list, all you have to do is sign up for your Free Letter from Ireland below.