There are a great many synonyms for O'Naghten (Ó Neachtain in Irish) in modern Ireland, including Naughtan, Naughton, Nochtin, Nocton, Knockton and even sometimes Connaughton (which is actually a ...

St Patrick’s Day often sparks curiosity about people's Irish heritage. These tips and online resources can help you begin ...

In a Gael Linn booklet first published in 1998 and entitled Aspects of Our Shared History, the late lamented Aodán Mac Póilin asked the question: Can a surname tell you where your ancestors came from?

The origins of some last names are pretty self-explanatory, whether it's Baker, Shepherd or even Rotten. But many surnames make no sense at all, at least not to the average Joe without a degree in Old ...

The most popular surname for babies born in Ireland has remained unchanged for at least three years. What is the most popular ...

It's a peculiarity of Ireland, or at least it used to be, that not only do most families here have two surnames, quite a few of them have three. There is the Irish original, of course, and there is ...

Further to the "fossil history" of Irish surnames, and to anglicised versions that arose from mistranslation, a reader reminds me about the curious case of Barnacle. That unusual name is now known ...