Surname O'Darrah - Meaning and Origin
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O'Darrah: What does the surname O'Darrah mean?
The Irish surname O'Darrah is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Ó Dearghaile," which is composed of the elements "dearg," meaning "red," and "gaile," meaning "noise or yelling." This name is likely derived from a place name and may refer to a hill colored by red heather. As such, it likely originally indicated someone from said place as opposed to having a separate, distinct meaning.
Throughout Ireland, the surname was commonly found around the counties of Wexford, Cork, Kilkenny, and Midlands. Records of the surname date back as early as the 14th century in County Wexford. By the 1880s in Ireland, the variant "Darra" was the most frequently used form of the name.
Those bearing the surname historically were either aristocratic landowners, farmers, or merchants, and may have been related to each other as acknowledged branches of the same family tree.
Today, O'Darrah is a relatively uncommon surname primarily found in Ireland. However, in recent years there has been a noticeable increase in Irish immigrants leaving the Republic to settle in other countries. As such, the surname has spread further across the world, particularly to the United States, where many of its bearers still reside.
Order DNA origin analysisO'Darrah: Where does the name O'Darrah come from?
The last name O’Darrah is most commonly found in Ireland, where it is a hereditary surname believed to come from the ancient Gaelic surname "O'Deargha," meaning “descendant of a famous and respected person.” O’Darrah is a fairly rare name even in Ireland, with just over 500 people registered with the surname in 2011.
It is also found in areas of the United Kingdom with significant immigrant communities from Ireland, such as Glasgow and Liverpool. There is also a small presence of the name in North America, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the United States, the most prevalent state for the O’Darrah name is New York, followed by California, Texas, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
In the United States, most people with the last name O’Darrah are likely descendants of immigrants who left Ireland’s shores during the 18th and 19th centuries. This was a time of intense poverty in Ireland, and many Irish people left for the United States in search of a better life.
Today, the O’Darrah surname is still quite uncommon in most areas, and thought to represent only 0.0005% of the population of the United States. It is a reminder of the many individuals who migrated from Ireland and left their mark on the countries they moved to.
Variations of the surname O'Darrah
The surname O'Darrah originates from the Gaelic Ó Dearadhach meaning “descendant of Dearadhach”. A similar variant is O'Dorrah or O’Derrah. The spelling, O'Dare, may also be encountered. The anglicized versions of the surname are seen as Darrah, Derragh, Darragh, Derrah, Darrach, Dorrah, Dorragh, Durrah, and Durragh. Some common surnames of the same origin include O'Darr, Darroch, Darcy, and Darcey.
The spelling O'Darrah has been used in many different parts of Ireland, however most of the bearers of the name are located in North-West Ulster, particularly in the counties of Monaghan and Armagh. O’Darrah is also found among those of Scottish ancestry. In Scotland, the surname is most common in the North East region, particularly Aberdeenshire and Inverness-shire.
The surname has also been known to be found in England and further abroad throughout countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. It is thought that the variant spellings seen in Britain and abroad are a result of emigration, of which some families took their new home’s spelling version of the surname with them.
Overall, the O'Darrah surname has many variant spellings and surnames of a similar origin. These spellings are not only found in Ireland, but among other countries throughout the world.
Famous people with the name O'Darrah
- Hope O'Darrah: American fashion designer
- Domhnall O'Darrah: Irish singer-songwriter
- Brian O'Darrah: American author and illustrator
- Sven O'Darrah: Canadian-born actor
- Jennifer O'Darrah: English actress
- Matt O'Darrah: American comedian
- Daniel O'Darrah: American artist
- Barbara O'Darrah: Irish-American singer
- Pamela O'Darrah: American artist and sculptor
- Ralph O'Darrah: American musician and songwriter