80+ Scottish, Irish, & Gaelic Last Names (With Meanings)

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Baby name consultant Maddy Ferguson shares some of the most common Gaelic surnames

Co-authored by Maddy Ferguson and Annabelle Reyes

Last Updated: December 15, 2025 Fact Checked

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Gaelic last names are steeped in historical and cultural significance, and they’re pretty darn beautiful and unique, too. If you’re looking for a long list of all Gaelic last names, you’ve landed in the right place! We’ve compiled popular, unique, and famous Gaelic surnames for you, along with their meanings, with insights from baby name consultant Maddy Ferguson. Whether you’re looking for a last name for a fictional character you’re creating, or you’re a person of Scottish or Irish ancestry who’s interested in Gaelic names, you’re sure to find some interesting options here!

Common Gaelic Last Names

Baby name consultant Maddy Ferguson says that common Gaelic last names include:

• Callahan
• Donovan
• Kelly
• Murphy
• O’Brien
• O’Sullivan

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Section 1 of 4:

Popular Gaelic Last Names

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1. 
   The Gaelic language is believed to have come to Scotland from Ireland around 500 A.D. Gaelic was slowly replaced by Norman-French and English following the Anglo-Norman conquest of Ireland in the 12th century, and many Gaelic names ended up being anglicized. With this in mind, it makes sense that the Gaelic names that survived are all the more precious and central to those with Gaelic heritage! “Gaelic last names draw from both Irish and Scottish traditions, making them all the more fascinating," says Ferguson. Here are some popular Gaelic last names you may have heard before. Many of them honor the clan, lineage, or family one comes from:

   • Barry: “Fair-haired.”
   • Boyle: “Pledge.”
   • Brady: “Roguish” or “spirited.”
   • Brody: “Ditch” or “muddy place.”
   • Brennan: “Sorrow” or “tear.”
   • Buckley: “Cowheard” or “servant.”
   • Burke: “Fortress” or “castle.”
   • Byrne: “Descendant of Bran.”
   • Campbell: “Crooked mouth.”
   • Carey: “Descendant of Ciardha.”
   • Casey: “Descendant of Cathasach.”
   • Clarke: “Clerk.”
   • Collins: “Whelp” or “young dog.”
   • Daly: “Assembles frequently.”
   • Doyle: “Descendant of Dubhghall,”
   • Fitzpatrick: “Son of Patrick.”
   • Flynn: “Fair” or “white.”
   • Gallagher: “Lover of foreigners,” also the name of a clan that has been in Ireland since the 4th century.
   • Grady: “Noble” or “illustrious.”
   • Hayes: “Descendant of Aodh.”
   • Hughes: “Son of Hugh.”
   • Kearny: “War-like” or “victorious.”
   • Keenan: “Descendant of Cian.”
   • Kelly: “Descendant of Ceallach.”
   • MacDermott: “Son of Diarmaid.”
     • According to Ferguson, “Many Gaelic surnames use the prefixes ‘O’ or ‘Mac’ to mean ‘descendant of’ or ‘son of.’”
   • MacDonald: “Son of Donald.”
   • MacIntyre: “Carpenter” or “wright.”
   • MacKenzie: “Son of Kenneth.”
   • Moore: “Noble.”
   • Murphy: “Sea warrior.”
   • Murray: “Sea settlement.”
   • O’Connell: “Descendant of Conall.”
   • O’Donnell: “Descendant of Donal.”
   • O’Farrell: “Descendant of Fearghal.”
   • O’Keefe: “Beautiful.”
   • O’Reily: “Descendant of Raghaillach.”
   • O’Sullivan: “Descendant of Súileabháin.”
   • Quinn: “Head” or “chief.”
   • Reid: “Red-haired.”
   • Ryan: “Little kings.”
   • Smith: “Son of the smith.”
   • Tompson: “Descendant of Tom.”
   • Walsh: “Welsh person.”

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Maddy Ferguson is a baby name consultant based in Longview, WA and founder of Birdie and Boyd. She provides a variety of naming inspiration, including sibling sets, rare names, and modern classics.
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Section 2 of 4:

Unique Gaelic Last Names

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1. 
   Ferguson says that many Gaelic surnames “originate from geographical features, nicknames, occupations, notable actions, or political roles. Over time, these names evolved with shifting history, invasions, and political change.” If you’re looking for some interesting options that are a bit more unique, check out these rare or lesser-known Gaelic last names:

   • Ahearn: “Descendant of the warrior.”
   • Brogan: “Shoe.”
   • Connolly: “Descendant of Conghalach.”
   • Cunningham: “From the province of Cunningham” or “descendant of Cuinneagán.”
   • Callahan: “Bright-headed.”
   • Darcy: “Dark one.”
   • Daugherty: “Descendant of Dochartach,” “obstructive” or “dangerous.”
   • Dunne: “Dark or brown.”
   • Donovan: “Brown-haired warrior.”
   • Fagan: “Little fire.”
   • Foley: “Plunderer.”
   • Gowan: “Smith” or “metalworker.”
   • Hogan: “Young.”
   • Kavanagh: “Handsome.”
   • Keane: “Descendant of Cathán.”
   • Lyons: “Grey.”
   • MacDowell: “Dark stranger.”
   • MacFarlane: “Son of Bartholomew."
   • MacGregor: “Son of Gregor.”
   • MacLeod: “Song of Leod.”
   • MacNab: “Son of the abbot.”
   • MacRae: “Son of grace.”
   • Maher: “Descendants of a kind, hospitable chief.”
   • Malone: “Descendant of a devotee of Saint John.”
   • O’Leary: “Descendant of Laoghaire.”
   • O’Niall: “Descendant of Niall.”
   • O’Sullivan: “Dark-eyed.”
   • Rowan: “Little red one.”
   • Sheehan: “Peaceful.”
   • Sweeny: “Pleasant.”
   • Tierney: “Descendant of a lord.”

Section 3 of 4:

Famous Gaelic Last Names

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1. 
   There have been several famous and influential people with Gaelic last names throughout history and in the modern era, including authors, politicians, and celebrities. Here are a few examples of famous Gaelic surnames, along with the people who made them iconic:

   • Caroll: “Fierce in battle,” made famous by Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
   • Dempsey: “Proud,” made famous by actor Patrick Dempsey from Grey’s Anatomy.
   • Duffy: One of the families descended from the great Kings of Ireland who founded a territory in Northern Ireland in the 4th century, according to Irish tradition.
   • Farrell: “Valiant warrior,” made famous by actor and comedian Will Farrell.
   • Fitzgerald: “Son of Gerald,” made famous by F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby.
   • Flanagan: “Reddish” or “scarlet,” made famous by Mike Flanagan, director of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor.
   • Kennedy: “Descendant of Ceannéidigh,” made famous by U.S. president John F. Kennedy and his family.
   • Lennox: “Elm grove,” made famous by musician Annie Lennox.
   • McCarthy: “Loving person,” made famous by actress and comedian Melissa McCarthy.
   • Nolan: “Descendant of Nuallán,” made famous by Christopher Nolan, director of Interstellar, Inception, and Oppenheimer.
   • O’Brien: “Descendant of Brian,” made famous by Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried.
   • O’Connor: “Lover of wolves,” made famous by novelist Flannery O’Connor.
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Section 4 of 4:

More Last Names

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1. Looking for more last names? We’ve got you! Check out a few of our other lists of last names and their meanings:

   • Dutch Last Names
   • Victorian Last Names
   • Southern Last Names
   • Cool Last Names
   • Pretty Last Names

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