New Irish Surname Tool

Irish surnames carry centuries of history in a single word. Most derive from the Gaelic naming system that flourished in Ireland before the Norman conquest — a system built on ancestry, occupation, and place. The O’ prefix (Ó in Irish) means “grandson of” or “descendant of.” The Mac prefix means “son of.” Together, they gave rise to the surnames carried today by tens of millions of people around the world.

A free Irish surname origins tool at https://irish.synpromedia.com lets you look up the history, meaning, and geographic distribution of Irish surnames — covering where the name comes from, how it was anglicised, and which counties it was most associated with historically.

No sign-up required.