Gaelic dynasty

O'Mahony

Ó Mathghamhna

Also: Mahony, Mahon

“descendant of Mathghamhain, 'bear'”

🏔 Cork · Corcaigh 🏔 Kerry · Ciarraí Source: Wikipedia ↗

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

The story

Descended from Cian, son-in-law of Brian Boru, the O'Mahonys held the wild peninsulas of west Cork with a dozen castles facing the Atlantic. Their annual gatherings still draw the clan home to Dunmanus and Mizen.

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 Mathghamhna
Ó — descendant of (originally grandson of)
Mathghamhna — 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'Mahony an Irish name?

O'Mahony 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'Mahony”

O'Mahony is the original name of the clan, with breakaway clans also spelled O'Mahoney, or simply Mahony, Mahaney and Mahoney, without the prefix. Brodceann O'Mahony was the eldest of the four sons of Mathghamain, known as "The Four Descendants".

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

Neighbours — other names from the same counties

Buckley · Cork, Kerry Cronin · Cork, Kerry Culloty · Kerry, Cork Díaz · Cork, Kerry Dowling · Cork, Kerry Downey · Cork, Kerry Foley · Kerry, Cork Galvin · Kerry, Cork Kelleher · Cork, Kerry McCarthy · Cork, Kerry Moynihan · Kerry, Cork O'Donoghue · Kerry, Cork O'Sullivan · Cork, Kerry Riordan · Cork, Kerry

Quick answers

Is O'Mahony an Irish name?

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

What does the surname O'Mahony mean?

O'Mahony (Irish: Ó Mathghamhna) means “descendant of Mathghamhain, 'bear'”. Origin: Gaelic dynasty.

Where in Ireland is the surname O'Mahony from?

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

What is the Irish for O'Mahony?

Ó Mathghamhna. Related spellings: Mahony, Mahon.

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

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