Surname O'Meagher - Meaning and Origin
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O'Meagher: What does the surname O'Meagher mean?
The last name O'Meagher is an Irish surname, originating from the Gaelic word O Maighghair, which translates to "son of a descendant of Maighghair". This name is of noble origin and is associated with the great Ui Maine clan of Ireland.
The Ui Maine were a powerful clan in Ireland in the 12th and 13th centuries, and members of this tribe were known for their great fighting prowess and bravery. The O'Meagher surname is also associated with County Galway, a beautiful area in the west of Ireland.
The name O'Meagher is still very common today in Ireland and is also found in the USA, Australia, and Europe. It is usually found in areas with large numbers of Irish emigrants or as the name of families that have a long-established Irish heritage.
The meaning of the name suggests a person who is a descendant of a noble, brave warrior lineage, often associated with loyalty and strength of character. There are several notable people with the name, including the artist Robert O'Meagher, Professor Owen O'Meagher from University College Dublin, and the former Governor of Massachusetts, John O'Meagher.
Order DNA origin analysisO'Meagher: Where does the name O'Meagher come from?
The last name O'Meagher is primarily associated with counties in the provinces of Munster and Connacht in the Republic of Ireland. It is one of the most numerous surnames in Ireland and is often used as a specific form of the more general name Meagher. It is suggested that the name is an anglicised form of the Irish name, Ó Míchéir, meaning “son of Micheir”.
The name O'Meagher is still common in Ireland today, though it is by no means exclusive there. Many people of Irish descent who moved abroad during the major emigration of the early 19th and 20th centuries still retain the name today. In the United States, in particular, there is a large population of people with this surname. It is fairly common in states that have traditionally had larger populations of Irish immigrants, such as New York, California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. O’Meagher is also usually found in New Zealand and Australia which have increasing populations of people of Irish descent.
In Ireland, O'Meagher has seen a slight decrease in prevalence over the past century. This is due to a number of reasons, including the usual factors associated with changing surname popularities throughout time; the adoption of different forms of existing names, the shortened use of double-barrelled names, and the increased use of surnames from other countries, as a result of international migration. Despite this, O'Meagher is still widely used in Ireland today, particularly in Munster and Connacht regions.
Variations of the surname O'Meagher
The surname O'Meagher, or Meagher, is an ancient Irish name that is derived from the Gaelic Ó Meachair, meaning ‘descendant of Meachar’. It is a surname with multiple spelling variants, including Maher, Meagher, O’Maher, and O’Meagher; as well as several different surnames of the same origins, such as O’Meaghel, Meachem, and Mee.
The most common variants of O’Meagher are Maher and Meagher, which share the same pronunciation in both English and Irish. The original Gaelic spelling can also be found in the county of Cork, where the name Meachar was brought over from Wexford in the early eleventh century. Other variants of the surname, such as McAteer, owe their origin to anglicization of the name when the English took over Ireland.
The O’Meagher surname is one that is very popular in Ireland, with many of its families tracing their origins back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The Ó Meachair sept were based in the counties of both Cork and Wexford, where they were commonly known as Lords of several districts.
The O’Meagher surname is still quite common in Ireland, especially in the south-east of the country, though it has spread to other countries such as the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The surname is often encountered, particularly in Australia, where it was brought over by Irish immigrants in the 19th century.
Many of the descendants of these immigrants have kept up the O’Meagher name, while other families may have changed their names slightly to one of its variants. The Meagher spelling variant seems to be the most widespread outside of Ireland due to the simplification of the surname to make it easier for immigrants to write and pronounce.
Famous people with the name O'Meagher
- Jimmy O'Meagher: Jimmy O'Meagher is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is best known for his various works as a session guitarist and for his contributions to classic rock bands such as Foreigner and Styx.
- Brenda O'Meagher: Brenda O'Meagher is an American television actress, best known for her role in the ABC sitcom My Two Dads.
- John O'Meagher: John O'Meagher was an Irish actor, known for small film roles such as The Italian Job (2003) and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003).
- Sean O'Meagher: Sean O'Meagher is an American actor from Nevada, best known for his roles in the films Zombie Strippers (2008) and Dementia 13 (2017).
- Liam O'Meagher: Liam O'Meagher is an Irish musician and songwriter, best known as the bassist and vocalist of the alternative rock band Dropkick Murphys.
- Kitty O'Meagher: Kitty O'Meagher is an American podcaster, best known for her podcast The Kitty O'Meagher Show.
- Fergus O'Meagher: Fergus O'Meagher is an Irish journalist and novelist, best known for his novel The Dance of the Dolphin (2005).
- Robert O'Meagher: Robert O'Meagher is an Australian actor, best known for his roles in the hit television series Offspring (2010) and Jurassic World (2015).
- Sean O'Meagher: Sean O'Meagher is an Irish rugby union player, best known for his time in the Irish national team.
- Caroline O'Meagher: Caroline O'Meagher is an Irish-Canadian poet and author, best known for her book Of Love and War (2006).