Surname O'Ferrally - Meaning and Origin
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O'Ferrally: What does the surname O'Ferrally mean?
The surname O'Ferrally originates from the ancient kingdom of Connacht, which is now located in the West of Ireland. It is derived from the Irish phrase 'of Fír Reghaile', meaning 'descendant of Reghaile'.
Reghaile, which was once an important political family in the area of Co. Mayo, was descended from the Heremon clan of Uí Fiachrach Faircheallaigh. This would make the O'Ferrallys a part of the Farrell clan, which itself is a part of the renowned Ó Raghallaigh surname. The name Farrell is derived from two Gaelic words, 'fear' and 'gal', meaning 'noble' and 'valor' respectively.
The O'Ferrallys were well known for their military prowess and were historically one of the most powerful families in the area. They held a prominent position in power which allowed them to own substantial lands throughout County Mayo.
At the time, such a strong standing in the local power structure meant that the O'Ferrallys were an influential force politically, as well as militarily. As a result, the name O'Ferrally represented honor and respect throughout the area.
Today, the surname O'Ferrally still holds a high status and is still used widely throughout the West of Ireland. It continues to be an emblem of strength, fortitude and nobility for many of the descendants of this ancient Irish clan.
Order DNA origin analysisO'Ferrally: Where does the name O'Ferrally come from?
The surname O'Ferrally is most commonly found in Ireland, particularly in the province of Connacht. O'Ferrally is an ancient Irish name which originated centuries ago. It is likely derived from the Gaelic name O'Fhraoghail, which translates to mean 'descendant of Fhraoghail'.
In the Irish Census of 2016, the O'Ferrally surname was found to be mostly concentrated in the towns of Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon, with the most significant number of occurrences in Galway. It was also found to be the 166th most common surname in Ireland.
The surname can also be found in other parts of the world. Today, many O'Ferrallys have immigrated to the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and South Africa, so the surname is quite widespread.
In the United States, the surname O'Ferrally can be found in small numbers in several states, particularly in California and Massachusetts. It is among the 3,944th most common surnames, according to the 1990 U.S. Census.
Overall, the surname is most common in Ireland, but O'Ferrallys have become dispersed across many parts of the world due to immigration and travel over the centuries. Today, the surname is relatively widespread, even if it remains uncommon overall.
Variations of the surname O'Ferrally
The surname O'Ferrally is of Irish origin. It is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic "O'Fearghail", which translates as "descendant of Fearghail". A variety of spellings have been used since the name moved from Ireland to other countries. Variations of O'Ferrally include:
• O'Fearghail
• O'Ferrall
• O'Farrell
• O'Farrelly
• O'Farlane
• Fearghail
• Ferrall
• Farrell
• Farral
• Farrall
• Farrelly
• Farley
• Farrely
• Pharrell
The variance in spellings is due to a combination of phonetic spelling and personal preference. In the English language, spelling variations often arise from dialect and have been used to create a distinctive identity. For example, some may have chosen to spell the surname as O'Farrell to differentiate themselves from other families with the same name in the same area.
The O'Ferrally surname can also be found across different countries. In Scotland, it can be found as Farral, Farrel, Ferral and Friel. In England, the common variations include Farley, Farral, Ferrol, Ferrill, Furl, and Pharrell. In Canada and Australia, the surname is often spelled O'Farrell.
Each of these variants are ultimately derived from the same Gaelic source, but have been adapted over time to suit the surrounding culture and language. As such, they should all be considered the same origin.
Famous people with the name O'Ferrally
- Mick O'Farrell: Irish former Gaelic games player.
- Daragh O'Farrell: Irish actor, writer and comedian.
- Maureen O'Farrell: Irish actress, most notably in several RTÉ dramas including Ros na Rún and An Craoibhín Aoibhinn.
- Brian O'Farrell: Australian-American actor and writer best known for his recurring roles in television series such as Mork & Mindy and The Love Boat.
- Colt O'Farrell: American actor, best known for his portrayal of the character Al on the television series Cheers.
- Conor O'Farrell: American actor, director, and writer, best known for his appearances in In the Heat of the Night, ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and many other television series.
- Jack O'Farrell: American competitive sailor, medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics.
- Susie O'Farrell: Irish actress, best known for her work on RTÉ's Fair City and BBC drama The Taken.
- Colm O'Farrell: Northern Irish cricketer who has represented the Ireland cricket team in One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals.
- Eve O'Farrell: Irish author of young adult fiction, best known for her debut novel Dubliners.