Surname O'Flanniagan - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'O'
O'Flanniagan: What does the surname O'Flanniagan mean?
The last name O'Flanniagan is an Irish surname mostly found in the province of Ulster. It is an anglicized form of the Old Gaelic name "O'Fhlannagain" which translates to "descendant of Flannagain" or simply "Flannagain's son".
Flannagain is derived from the Old Gaelic phrase "flann og" meaning "red blond" which could be interpreted as having reddish blond locks, or perhaps simply "red-haired".
Its Irish cognate is spelled "O'Fhlannagain" and is found in the Leitrim-Sligo region of the west of Ireland as well as Ulster. Many ancient O'Flannagain families were found in the counties of Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.
The O'Flannagain name is believed to have originated from a time before the Norman Conquest when first names like Flannagain were given to those who had red hair or auburn locks. It was a name used to distinguish such members of a clan or family.
The O'Flannagains were a part of the high ranking noble families of the Ui Chearbhaill clan which was connected to the legendary royal family of Cormac Mac Art of Munster and with whom O'Flannagain family members may share a common ancestor.
These days, the O'Flannagain name has a rich and varied history and remains popular in Irish culture.
Order DNA origin analysisO'Flanniagan: Where does the name O'Flanniagan come from?
The last name O'Flanniagan is most commonly associated with Ireland and the Irish diaspora. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name Ó Fhlannchadha, derived from the Irish first name Flannchadh, and is derived from the Irish words "fhlann" (slaughter) and "cath" (battle). The name likely refers to a descendant of Flannchadh, a first-born son of an Irish chieftain or noble from the seventh or eighth centuries.
Today, the surname O'Flanniagan can be found most commonly in the United States, England, Ireland, and Scotland. Irish immigrants to the US and the UK tended to anglicize their surnames, so many O'Flanniagan families can be found in both countries. The highest concentration of individuals with the surname O'Flanniagan is found in the four counties of Donegal, Cork, Mayo, and Galway.
It is hypothesized, however, that individuals with this surname are spread across many other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa, as a large number of Irish immigrants traveled to those destinations during the 19th and 20th centuries. There has also been a recent influx of Irish immigrants to Central and South American countries, such as Argentina and Chile, which could explain why some traces of the O'Flanniagan surname have been found in those countries.
Variations of the surname O'Flanniagan
The surname O'Flanniagan is an Irish surname derived from a Gaelic patronymic that was typically used to describe a person who was the son or descendant of Flann, an ancient personal name deriving from the Old Irish "Flann", meaning "red". This surname appears in various forms throughout history, including O'Flanigan and O'Flanaghan.
In its earliest recorded form, O'Flannagáin appears in Irish records from around the 10th century. This reflects the Roman spelling of a number of names in Old Irish Gaelic, where "a" and "á" were interchangeable in the original records. Over time, this spelling branched out resulting in various suffixes being used.
In the earliest English records, the name took the form of Flaen and Flan. During this period, spellings could easily evolve and fluctuate from one document to another.
In its modern usage, variants of O'Flanniagan commonly encountered include O'Flanagan, O'Flannigan, Flaen, Flanigan, Flannigan and Flanagan.
Outside of Ireland, and particularly in Scotland, O'Flanniagan has occasionally developed into other surnames such as McFlannag, McFlanniger, McFlanigan and Flanigan.
Famous people with the name O'Flanniagan
- John O'Flaherty: Irish actor, director, and television presenter
- Lorcan O'Flanagáin: Irish singer-songwriter
- Peadar O'Flaherty: Irish nationalist politician
- James O'Flanagan: American stand-up comedian
- Eamon O'Flannagáin: Irish professional golfer
- Grainne O'Flanagan: Irish actress
- Stephen O'Flaherty: Irish musician
- Michael O'Flannery: American entrepreneur
- Seamus O'Flanagan: Irish poet 10.Patrick O'Flanagan: Irish Gaelic footballer
- Claire O'Flanagan: Canadian radio personality
- Patrick O'Flanagan: Irish football referee
- Siobhan O'Flanagan: Irish wildlife photographer
- Peter O'Flanagan: Irish journalist
- John O'Flaherty: American painter and sculptor