Surname O Hart - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'O'
O Hart: What does the surname O Hart mean?
The last name "O Hart" is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic name "Ó hAirt", meaning "descendant of Art." The name "Art" itself is derived from an old Celtic word that translates to "bear" or "hero". Therefore, the surname "O Hart" could be interpreted as "descendant of the bear" or "descendant of the hero." It is a patronymic surname, which are names that identify an individual based on the father or a paternal ancestor. This is common in many cultures where the last name is based on the name of a person's father or ancestral line. In Irish culture, "O" prefixes in surnames traditionally represented 'grandson of.' Over time, however, this has more broadly come to mean "descendant of."
Order DNA origin analysisO Hart: Where does the name O Hart come from?
The surname 'O Hart' is of Irish origin. It came from the Gaelic "O'hAirt," meaning "descendant of Art," implying "a god, a stone, or, sometimes, a noble one or bear-man." The name 'Art' in this context derives from an ancient Celtic deity. There were two distinct septs of this family in Ireland. The majority lived in the province of Connacht, primarily in the counties of Sligo and Donegal. The other sept belonged to the Dalcassians and resided in the county of Clare. They were a notable family there until the Anglo-Norman invasion.
Today, the surname O'Hart has become less common, and its bearers have spread worldwide due to migration, especially during the Great Famine of the mid-19th century. Places with significant populations include Ireland itself, as well as countries where Irish natives migrated in large numbers, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In many cases, the prefix 'O' might have been dropped due to Anglicization, reducing the name to Hart.
Variations of the surname O Hart
The surname O'Hart, which has its roots in Irish history, usually starts with an O’ or Mac, signifying "son of" or "descendant of". Various spellings and variants of O’Hart have emerged over time, often due to phonetic translations or regional differences.
Some variants include O’Harte, O’Hert, O'Hairt, and Hart, while MacHart and Hartt are examples which drop the O’. Anglicization of Irish surnames also led to more variations, such as McHart, Harte, and Hartley.
Additionally, O’Hart could originate from two separate Irish surnames - Ó hAirt and Ó hEarta. The former is often translated to Harte or Hart in English, while the latter is typically rendered Hartley. Due to the phonetic nature of translating Irish-Gaelic to English, surnames like these often have many variations.
It's also important to note that many Irish surnames including O’Hart were written without the "O’" or "Mac" during the 17th and 18th centuries due to British rule. Therefore, just "Hart" could potentially be an O’Hart variant. While proving connections between these different surnames requires genealogical research, the potential linguistic relationship among them is clear.
Famous people with the name O Hart
- Ryan O'Hart: American actor and writer.
- Rosemarie O'Hart: Irish actress.
- Chris O'Hart: Australian Olympic athlete.
- Stephen O'Hart: British artist and former Royal Academician.
- Patrick O'Hart: Australian entertainer and entrepreneur.
- Naoise O'Hart: Irish author and presenter.
- Sean O'Hart: Irish professional football player.
- Heather O'Hart: Irish publisher and farmer.
- Seamus O'Hart: Irish-born Australian actor, writer, and director.
- Sinead O'Hart: Irish author and illustrator of children's books.
- Mary O'Hart: Irish-American ophthalmologist and recipient of the National Eye Institute's National Medal of Science.
- John O'Hart: Irish genealogist, author, and historian.
- Rory O'Hart: Irish television presenter and radio host.
- Gavin O'Hart: American college basketball coach.
- Conor O'Hart: Irish actor, writer, and director.
- Mark O'Hart: American architect and urban planner.
- Patrick O'Hart: Irish Gaelic football player.
- Margaret O'Hart: Irish-born English actress and singer.
- Tom O’Hart: American physician, photographer, and naturalist.
- Rosalie O'Hart: Irish-born American actress.