Gaelic sept

O'Driscoll

Ó hEidirsceoil

Also: Driscoll

“descendant of the eidirsceol — 'the go-between, the interpreter'”

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

The story

Sea-lords of the Corcu Loígde at Baltimore and Sherkin, taxing every fishing fleet that entered their waters. Their name means 'interpreter' — fitting for a family that dealt with Spain as easily as with Dublin.

Their world Around 1450 — The Gaelic Resurgence. Plague, absentee landlords and Gaelic recovery shrink English Ireland to a fortified strip around Dublin.

See them on the atlas ↗

What the name is made of

Ó hEidirsceoil
Ó — descendant of (originally grandson of)
hEidirsceoil — the ancestor, trade or place the name is built on

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

Is O'Driscoll an Irish name?

O'Driscoll 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 — “O'Driscoll”

Ó Drisceóil, O'Driscoll is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic Ó hEidirsceoil. The O'Driscolls were rulers of the Dáirine sept of the Corcu Loígde until the early modern period; their ancestors were Kings of Munster until the rise of the Eóganachta in the 7th century. At the start of the 13th century, the prominent branches of the family came into existence: Muintear Uí Dhrisceóil Mhóir, Ó Drisceóil Óg, Sliocht Thaidhg and Ó Drisceóil Beara.

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 O'Driscoll an Irish name?

O'Driscoll is a Gaelic name: it was formed in Irish, from an Irish ancestor, before English was spoken here. In Irish the name is Ó hEidirsceoil.

What does the surname O'Driscoll mean?

O'Driscoll (Irish: Ó hEidirsceoil) means “descendant of the eidirsceol — 'the go-between, the interpreter'”. Origin: Gaelic sept.

Where in Ireland is the surname O'Driscoll from?

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

What is the Irish for O'Driscoll?

Ó hEidirsceoil. Related spellings: Driscoll.

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

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