Irish surnames are very important, especially the unusual ones and there are so many unusual names to be found in our records. What is an Irish Surname? First of all, we have the question "What exactly is an Irish surname?" Is it a name which originated in Ireland and was only ever found in Ireland? Is it a name as gaeilge (through Irish)? Is it a name which was brought in to Ireland with the Normans? Or does that remain a name of Norman origin, which is found in Ireland. If a person tells someone that their Grandparents came from Ireland and that story is handed down through generations for 300 years and then some member of that family decides to trace their ancestry - and they just know that their ancestors came from Ireland, and they ask a question somewhere - a mail list, a message board or at a genealogical society meeting and other people tell them "That is not an Irish name because it is not found in the Mathesons Report on Irish surnames and it is not found in any of the books published by Edward McLysaght", then I ask you what is the descendant to do? If they are told that the name is found in England, Scotland, Wales, France or Spain, but not Ireland, by those who possess the publications I've mentioned, where do they turn? If their ancestors said they came from Ireland, then to my mind, those people must have been born in Ireland regardless of where their parents or grandparents came from. <snip> Variations Let me give you some examples, Easy enough to spot the variations Achmooty* /Aughmuty* /Aghmuty /Ahmuty /Auchmuty Ahearn* /Aheran /Ahern /Aherne* /Ahearn* /Aheron Archdeacon* /Archdekin /Arcedeckne /Aercedeckne /Arsdekin /Arcedeickne Bagnall* /Bagnel /Bagnell /Bagnal /Bagenal Bailey* /Bailie/ Bailie*/ Baillie/ Bailly /Baily /Bayley /Baylie /Bayly* Barber* /Barbor/ Barbour* Daily/ Daley/ Dally/ Daly* /Dawley* /Dalyly Delahayde /Delahide/ Delahoide /Delahoyde With a bit of guesswork: Eayres/ Ayres* /Eyres/ Eyre*/ Ayre* Ellard*/ Aylward* /Elliard Fair* /Phair* /Faire Fay* /Fee*/Foy*/Fey*/Fye* Archbold* /Archaball And then we come to the difficult ones, the names which sound the same but look different. Adlum/Odlum - easy enough Agar/Eagar - not too bad either Agarty/Hegarty Aldin/Heldan Armour/Larmour Aghoon/Whitesteed - McLysaght says so, different counties! Cullinane/Quillinane Cuddy/Quiddihy Coyd/Quoid Cuogly/Quogly Clendinning/Glendinning Coggin/Goggin Innis/Ennis Ivory/Evory Kilfoyle/Guilfoyle Felan/Phelan Walter/Qualter MacWhirter/MacQuirter and if you click on this link you will find the full article plus links to some surnames sorted alphabetically A-J (about 4,000 in all including variations) http://www.from-ireland.net/gene/surnamedisc.htm and netscape viewers go here: http://www.from-ireland.net/netscapeviewers/gene/surnamediscnet.htm Jane