Gaelic sept

Riordan

Ó Ríoghbhardáin

Also: O'Riordan, Rearden

“descendant of Ríoghbhardán, 'royal little bard'”

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

The story

The 'royal bard' sept of Muskerry, poetry in the very etymology, later giving Ireland Seán Ó Ríordáin, the greatest Irish-language poet of the 20th century.

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 Ríoghbhardáin
Ó — descendant of (originally grandson of)
Ríoghbhardáin — 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 Riordan an Irish name?

Riordan 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 — “Riordan”

Riordan is a surname of Irish origin ; Rearden and Reardon are variants of it. From rí, which means "king" and bard which means "poet", Riordan means "royal poet". In Irish tradition, the poet was very highly regarded in any royal household, as he acted as a scholar, historian and advisor to the king.

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'Mahony · Cork, Kerry O'Sullivan · Cork, Kerry

Quick answers

Is Riordan an Irish name?

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

What does the surname Riordan mean?

Riordan (Irish: Ó Ríoghbhardáin) means “descendant of Ríoghbhardán, 'royal little bard'”. Origin: Gaelic sept.

Where in Ireland is the surname Riordan from?

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

What is the Irish for Riordan?

Ó Ríoghbhardáin. Related spellings: O'Riordan, Rearden.

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

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