Irish surnames starting with E

The E names in brief

• Early · Ó Maolmhochóirghe · Gaelic learned family
  Descendant of Maolmhocheirghe, ‘chief of early rising’. An ecclesiastical family in the diocese of Kilmore, Woulfe writes. Its head was coarb of Drumreilly in Co.
• Egan · Mac Aodhagáin · Gaelic learned family
  Son of little Aodh. Mac Aodhagáin, son of Aodhagán, a diminutive of Aodh. The MacEgans were a distinguished family of brehons, the hereditary lawyers of Gaelic Ireland.
• Enright · Mac Ionnrachtaigh · Gaelic sept
  Son of Ionnrachtach, 'unlawful'. Woulfe calls Mac Ionnrachtaigh a well-known Munster surname of Dalcassian origin, the Dál gCais being the people of Brian Boru in Thomond. He notes the spoken Irish of his day pronounced it 'a Ciúrrachta', a reminder of how far the English spelling sits from the name.
• Esmonde · Easmonn · Norse-English
  East-mund, 'grace-protector'. Easmonn, son of Eastmund, an Anglo-Saxon name found in Domesday Book, and in Dublin records of 1216. The Esmondes settled early in Wexford: in 1303 Henry Estmund was commissioned by Edward I to provide ships at Wexford for his army's crossing to Scotland, and in 1371 Thomas Estmunde was constable of Wexford Castle.

Also spelled with E

These are listed on the atlas under another spelling, but the E form is the one many families carry.