Surname Ó Maolruanaidh - Meaning and Origin
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Ó Maolruanaidh: What does the surname Ó Maolruanaidh mean?
The surname Ó Maolruanaidh (O'Mulrooney) is an Irish surname derived from two Gaelic words, “maol” meaning “bald” and “ruanaidh” meaning “champion”. Thus, this surname is translated to mean “the champion with the bald head.”
The Ó Maolruanaidh surname is an anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Maolruanaidh, which originates from the western part of County Galway in the province of Connacht. The name could also be found in activity across the border in Ulster, particularly in counties Donegal and Leitrim, as well as in the counties of Mayo and Sligo.
The surname is believed to have first been used by a man named Maol Ruanaidh Ui Briain, believed to have been an influential Gaelic chieftain in the 12th century who supported the eventual High King of Ireland, Roderick O’Connor at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
The Ó Maolruanaidh family became a very respected and prominent family in Ireland, and many of them became landowners and involved in politics. Several of them became bishops in the Catholic Church and notable scholastic figures, such as John O'Mulrooney who was the Bishop of Killaloe in the 16th century.
To this day, the Ó Maolruanaidh surname is still present in various parts of Ireland, and members of the family often meet at family reunions and gatherings to celebrate their shared heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisÓ Maolruanaidh: Where does the name Ó Maolruanaidh come from?
The Ó Maolruanaidh surname is predominantly found in Ireland, however there is a scattering of the family name throughout the UK, Europe, and North America.
The Irish roots of the Ó Maolruanaidh name stem from a Gaelic territorial family stemming from a place called “Maelruanaidh” in County Leitrim, located in the north-west of Ireland. Linguists have identified Maelruanaidh to come from the Gaelic words for "servant of Ruanaidh”, though the identity of Ruanaidh is still disputed.
In Ireland, the family name was most commonly bunched in the counties of Leitrim and Galway, as well as adjacent border counties nearby. It is likely that as a result of the Great Famine and subsequent emigration waves, the name can be commonly found throughout the globe. In the UK, the presence of the surname has been especially noted in London and Scotland.
In America, finding the Ó Maolruanaidh name is a bit more complicated, though it does exist primarily in the states of New York, Texas, and California, seemingly in greater concentrations near more urban areas. Occasionally, one might also find the name as O’Malley in the United States, having been anglicized at the time of emigration.
Variations of the surname Ó Maolruanaidh
The surname Ó Maolruanaidh, which originates from the Irish language, has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The original form of the surname is Ó Maoilruanaidh, which means ‘grandson of Maolruanaidh’.
Variants of the spelling of the surname include Ó Maolruanaidh, Ó Maolruanaidhe, Ó Mhaolruanaidh, and Ó Mhaolruanaidhe.
The variant spellings of the surname are usually derived from the two main surnames of the family. The first name is Ó Mhaolruanaidh, which is a Celtic concentration and an anglicised form of the Scottish surname MacMillan. The second name is Ó Maoilmhuaidh, which is an Irish form of the Scottish surname MacMillan.
Surnames of the same origin as Ó Maolruanaidh include Ó Mulvaney, Ó Mellon, O’Molloy, O’Millon, and O’Malley. All of these surnames share a common origin with the Irish surname Ó Maolruanaidh, namely the same clan of the O'Neill family.
The spelling of the surname in Scotland is most typically spelled MacMillan, which is an anglicised form of the Irish name Ó Maolruanaidh.
In conclusion, the surname Ó Maolruanaidh has many variants and spellings, as well as other surnames of the same origin. The surname is of Irish origin, and is derived from the Scottish surname MacMillan.
Famous people with the name Ó Maolruanaidh
- Aindrias O Maolruanaidh: historian, former Fine Gael TD
- Brendan O Maolruanaidh: former Fine Gael TD
- Catherine O Maolruanaidh: former Irish Labour Party MEP
- Luke O Maolruanaidh: lawyer and former general secretary of Fianna Fáil
- Donal O Maolruanaidh: former chairman of the Gaelic Athletic Association
- Frank O Maolruanaidh: former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association
- Aifric O Maolruanaidh: actress
- Eoghan O Maolruanaidh: musician
- Liam O Maolruanaidh: musician
- Breandán O Maolruanaidh, priest and author