In Ireland, the surname Clooney has several origins. One possible place of origin is in County Clare, where two towns, Bally-maclune and Tiermaclune, are named for the former MacClune clan of the area. Records exist of a person named Teag MacCluin living in Quin, County Clare in 1542. The Clooney surname, also recorded as Clune, O’Cloney, Cloney, Clowney, MacCluin and … [Read more...] about Roots: The Clooney Clan
Roots
Roots: The Marvelous McDonaghs
McDonagh is one of the rarer surnames of Ireland, but exists also as MacDonagh, MacDonough, Donogh, and Donagh. The modern forms of the name are derived from Mac Donnchadha, which originates from the first name Donnchadh, a compound of “donn” meaning brown, plus “cath,” a battle. Often translated as “brown one,” Donnchadh was a common first name in ancient times. Given its … [Read more...] about Roots: The Marvelous McDonaghs
Roots: The Foley Family
The surname Foley is found in greatest concentration in counties Cork, Kerry, and Waterford. It is generally understood to be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Ó Foghladha, which translates loosely to “pirate,” or “marauder,” possibly implying distant Viking roots. It may also be an Anglicized version of the Northern Irish name Mac Searraigh, chosen for its phonetic … [Read more...] about Roots: The Foley Family
Roots: The Ford Family
The Ford family name has several possible origins. Its Anglo-Saxon roots can be traced back to Devonshire, where the name derived from the topographical term “ford,” meaning “a shallow place where water can be crossed.” However, this term originally comes from the Norse “fjord,” meaning a narrow inlet of sea. Therefore, the Ford family name is also thought to be Viking in … [Read more...] about Roots: The Ford Family
Roots: the history of the Ruane, Rowan and Ó Ruadain families
The surname Ruane comes from the old Gaelic Ó Ruadain, meaning the descendant of the red one, originally derived from the Gaelic ruadh. The pre-medieval clan stems from Ui Maine, an ancient territory that was made up of mid-Galway and South Roscommon, and Ui FIachrach, an ancient area of Mayo, Sligo, and Southern Galway. The name, variously recorded as Rowan, Ruan, O’Rowan, … [Read more...] about Roots: the history of the Ruane, Rowan and Ó Ruadain families