Gaelic territorial

Desmond

Deasmhumhnach

“'the south-Munster man'”

🏔 Cork · Corcaigh

The sept's historic heartland, highlighted. People moved — a name can be found far from home.

The story

Not a sept but a territory worn as a name — Deas-Mhumhain, south Munster. Families displaced in the Desmond wars carried their lost country as their surname ever after.

Their world Around 1583 — The Tudor Conquest. Henry VIII takes the title 'King of Ireland' in 1541, and his children finish the work by sword, by plantation, and by the bargain called surrender and regrant.

See them on the atlas ↗

What the name is made of

Deasmhumhnach
No prefix: the name stands on its own word.

Find this form in the Irish-to-English index → · What Ó and Mac actually mean

Is Desmond an Irish name?

Desmond is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here.

The five answers, and why it is rarely yes or no →

From Wikipedia — “Desmond (name)”

Desmond is a given name and a surname, derived from the Irish place-name Desmond, an anglicization of the Irish Deas-Mhumhna. The Irish peerages of Ormonde, Desmond, and Thomond represented the old sub-kingdoms of East, South, and North Munster, respectively. South Munster existed as an independent territory between 1118 and 1543. The title of Earl of Desmond in the Peerage of Ireland originates in 1628; it is currently held by Alexander Feilding, 12th Earl of Denbigh.

Read the full article ↗ · Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Neighbours — other names from the same counties

Ahern · Cork Barrett · Cork Barry · Cork Buckley · Cork Cagney · Cork Canavan · Cork Carew · Cork Carey · Cork Casey · Cork Coffey · Cork Coleman · Cork Collins · Cork Condon · Cork Coughlan · Cork

Quick answers

Is Desmond an Irish name?

Desmond is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here. In Irish the name is Deasmhumhnach.

What does the surname Desmond mean?

Desmond (Irish: Deasmhumhnach) means “'the south-Munster man'”. Origin: Gaelic territorial.

Where in Ireland is the surname Desmond from?

The historic homeland of the Desmond name is Cork. People moved, so the name can be found far beyond it.

What is the Irish for Desmond?

Deasmhumhnach.

Looking for the Desmond family crest? Read this first — arms belong to people, not surnames, and the honest version is more interesting. Tracing Desmond ancestors? The step-by-step guide.

Not your spelling? Try the full A–Z. Know more about the Desmond name? Add to the story.