Irish Surnames P-R
Irish surnames beginning with P and R, from Plunkett to Ryan
| Name | Variants | In Irish | Location | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plunkett | Louth, Meath. | Danish | ||
| Power | de Paor. | Kilkenny, Waterford, Wicklow. | Norman | |
| From the Norman-French word le Poer meaning "poor". Came as servants with the Normans. | ||||
| Prendergast | Prender, Pender | Waterford, Mayo | Anglo-Norman | |
| Name of a village in Pembrokeshire | ||||
| Punch | Kildare, Limerick Dublin | Norman | ||
| From the French given name Poncius. | ||||
| Quigley | Cogley | O Coigligh, | Derry, Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo. | Gaelic |
| Literally means "untidy hair". | ||||
| Quinlan | Quinlevan | O Caoindealbháin | Clare, Munster. | Gaelic |
| Means "graceful shape". | ||||
| Quinn | Quin, Quan | O Cuinn | Antrim, Clare, Longford, widespread. | Gaelic |
| From cuinn meaning "intelligent". | ||||
| Rafferty | O’Rafferty, | O Raithbheartaigh | Clare, Galway, Mayo | Gaelic |
| Means "bringer of prosperity". | ||||
| Redmond | Réamonn | Wexford, Wicklow. | Norman | |
| Originated with Richard le Gros, a Norman leader of the 1169 invasion. The Irish name is a translation of the French, the English a phonetic version of it. | ||||
| Regan | Reagan | Ó Reagáin | Dublin, Kerry, Louth, widespread | Gaelic |
| Reynolds | MacRaghnaill | Leinster | Viking | |
| Roche | de Róiste | Widespread | Norman | |
| A Norman family who arrived in Ireland from Wales, where they lived in Roch Castle. | ||||
| Rooney | O Ruanaidh | Down, widespread. | Gaelic | |
| Means "hero". | ||||
| Ryan | Mulryan | Ó Riain, Ó Maoilriains | Carlow, Limerick, Tipperary, widespread. | Gaelic |
| A common name with two main families, each with a different Irish spelling: the Ó Riains of Idrone in Carlow; and the Ó Maoilriains from Limerick and Tipperary. | ||||
Is REGAN really and truly the most prevalent spelling of this Gaelic name in present-day Ireland? I really can’t believe it, especially considering the spelling in Irish. My family history has been traced back to a Timothy Reagan who came to America around 1700.
I was told by an Irish genealogist that the surname REAGAN (and he made no objection to that spelling) was so widespread that tracing it would be impossible – at least back farther than the aforementioned 1700.