Additional Coverage:
- List of Irish last names that mean you’re secretly a royal (irishstar.com)
Royal Irish Roots? A 1515 Document Reveals Ancient Family Names
Ever wondered if your surname has a touch of nobility? A fascinating historical document from 1515 has recently come to light, offering a glimpse into Ireland’s powerful royal families of that era and potentially revealing if your family name carries ancient Irish royal heritage.
This significant English state paper from the period sheds light on the intricate power structure that governed Ireland centuries ago. It describes a land where local leaders held considerable sway, noting: “There reigneth more than 60 chief captains …that liveth only by the sword and obeys unto no other temporal person. Also, there be thirty great captains of the English folk (Normans) that follow the same Irish order, and every one of them makes war and peace for himself without any license of the King.”
These approximately 90 “captains,” often referred to as “lords” rather than kings, represented the independent royal lineages that flourished across Ireland. Their influence spanned the island’s four provinces, with their domains fiercely defended by formidable Gallowglass warriors and the impressive tower houses and castles that still stand as testaments to their power today.
This period also marked a vibrant Gaelic cultural renaissance, a revitalization of Ireland’s rich heritage predating the invasions of the 1100s. These powerful lords were patrons of the arts and culture, employing historians and genealogists to document their lineages, reclaiming historic royal inauguration sites, and supporting poets and bards who preserved their stories and traditions.
If you’re curious to see if your family name appears on this remarkable historical record, check the lists below:
Munster:
- McCarthy (Overlord)
- O’Sullivan
- O’Donovan
- O’Mahony
- O’Driscoll
- Finn
- Fitzgerald (Overlord)
- Roche
- Condon
- Barry
- Courcy
- Fitzmaurice
- Fitzgibbon
- O’Brien (Overlord)
- McMahon
- McNamara
- O’Grady
- O’Connor
- O’Loughlin
- Butler (Overlord)
- Power
- Tobin
- Purcell
- Kennedy
- MacBrien
- Ryan (Mulryan)
- Meagher
- O’Dwyer
Leinster:
- MacMurrough (Overlord)
- O’Byrne
- O’Toole
- O’Brennan
- O’More
- O’Dempsey
- Fitzgerald of Kildare (Overlord)
- Fitzpatrick
- O’Dunne
- Fleming
- O’Molloy
- Tyrell
- O’Carroll
- O’Connor
- MacCoghlan
- MacGeoghegan
- Nugent
- Plunkett
- O’Ferrall
- Dillon
Ulster:
- MacClancy
- O’Rourke (Overlord)
- MaGauran
- O’Reilly
- Maguire
- MacMahon
- MacKenna
- O’Neill (Overlord)
- O’Donnell (Overlord)
- O’Boyle
- MacSweeney
- O’Doherty
- O’Cahan (Kane)
- MacQuillan
- MacDonnell
- Savage
- White
- MacCartan
- Magennis
- MacCann
- O’Hanlon
Connaught:
- Burke (Overlord)
- O’Shaughnessy
- O’Heyne
- O’Madden
- O’Kelly
- O’Flaherty (Overlord)
- Joyce
- O’Malley
- Barrett
- O’Dowd
- O’Hara
- MacJordan
- MacMorris
- Bermingham
- MacCostello
- O’Gara
- MacDermot
- MacDonagh
Read More About This Story:
- List of Irish last names that mean you’re secretly a royal (irishstar.com)