Surname Hourihan - Meaning and Origin
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Hourihan: What does the surname Hourihan mean?
The Irish surname Hourihan is derived from the pre-10th century Old Gaelic elements “O’hUghrain” which translates to “grandson/descendant of Ughrain”. Ughrain itself is an Old Gaelic personal name that was a combination of two elements, firstly “hugh” meaning hugs, which combined with the diminutive suffix “en”, would have originally meant someone who gave many hugs.
The modern spelling of the surname may often be found as Hourigan, O’Hurrigen, Horrigan and similar.
The Hourigans are an old Irish family that can trace their lineage back to the 10th century, where they would have held lands in the baronies of Forth in County Wexford and Owney and Arra in County Tipperary. By the 19th century, however, the majority of the Hourigans had moved to neighbouring counties Kilkenny and Limerick in the 19th century.
The Hourigans were respected members of the local community and were renowned for their hospitality.
The Hourigans were also renowned for their loyalty, with many of them taking up arms for either the King of England or King James of Ireland, according to their religion.
Today, the Hourigans are spread around the world, but Ireland remains their homeland. The Hourigans are proud of their heritage and of their cultural roots, and many are trying to preserve the name and continue the family legacy.
Order DNA origin analysisHourihan: Where does the name Hourihan come from?
The surname Hourihan is an Anglicized form of two Gaelic surnames, Ó hUircin and Ó hUaracháin. It is most commonly found in the south-west region of Ireland, in particular in Cork, Limerick and Kerry.
The surname is derived from the Irish word "hóirceann", which means "sea-cave", and is linked to the ancient Gaelic name Ó hUircin. This was the traditional hereditary surname of the family of Ó hUircin, one of the ancient septs of the Uí Fidgenti tribe that originated in the County Limerick-Kerry region in the pre-Christian era.
It is also believed that the surname originated from the ancient Gaelic name of Ó hUaracháin, which means "descendant of ruarach". Ruarach was an old Irish name meaning ‘champion’ and was a nickname of an O'Sullivan Clan ancestor who was renowned for his strength and bravery.
In modern times, the surname Hourihan is still present across Ireland. According to The Irish Times, there were 305 people named Hourihan in the Republic of Ireland in 2018 and, according to IrishCentral, the surname is particularly common in the counties of Cork, Limerick and Kerry.
The surname is also present in other parts of the world, primarily amongst the Irish diaspora, where it has also been modified to alternative forms such as Hurley and Horehan.
Variations of the surname Hourihan
Hourihan is an Irish surname and is spelled in various ways, depending on the region that it originates from. Variations, spellings, and surnames that stem from the same origin as Hourihan include O'Hurley, Hurley, Hurlie, Hurly, Hurleigh, Hurlye, Hurleigh, Hourly, Hourlay, Hourlie, Hourley, Horley, Orley, Horely, Hourlye, Harly, Horlie, Horleigh, Horlye, Hurlea, Horliea, Hurely, Hurlya, Horlay, Hurlay, Horlya, Horlee, Horlea, Hulea and Hurliea.
The various spellings and surnames of Hourihan originate from the Irish words 'O'hUrlathaigh', which translates as 'descendant of Ulaithach'. The ultimate origin of the name is of the pre-Celtic Irish name 'Uurlathe', possibly meaning something such as 'grand voyager'.
The use of various surnames and spellings to refer to the same origin dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Irish language was written using a phonetic system, rather than standardised spelling. As a result, the spelling of the same name can vary over time and from region to region.
Hourihan is most common in the south of Ireland, particularly in the province of Munster. Immigrants with the name could also be found in countries such as the United States, Australia, and Canada, where the surname is often Anglicised, appearing under the spelling forms Hourly, Hourlie, and Horley, among others.
The historic seat of the Hourihan family was the town of Newcastle on the Clare and Galway border, though the name has since been dispersed to other parts of Ireland and beyond.
Famous people with the name Hourihan
- Carla Hourihan: former Australian women's football goalkeeper.
- Magnus Hourihan: award-winning jazz pianist from Ireland.
- Donal Hourihan: Irish sports broadcaster and former Gaelic footballer.
- Thomas Hourihan: Director of Environmental Strategies and Climate Change for HarvestLink.
- Matt Hourihan: American research analyst and public policy expert.
- Brendan Hourihan: Irish former hurler who played as a full-forward for the Cork senior team.
- Jack Hourihan: Irish farmer, entrepreneur, and chairman of the board of directors for Aid for Ireland.
- Peter Hourihan: United States Navy Chief Boatswain's Mate who was presented with the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic actions.
- Tony Hourihan: American head coach of the Boston University Terriers men's soccer team.
- William Hourihan: former Canadian skicross athlete who competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics.