A list of some of the surnames that are prevalent throughout County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland.
Codd: The Codd family probably arrived in Ireland after the Norman invasion in 1169. A Primary Valuation property survey from the 1800s shows that there were 159 Codd households in Wexford; far more than in any other county.
Colfer: The surname Colfer began to appear in County Wexford following the arrival of the Vikings. Wexford author Eoin Colfer is a notable example (and Billy Colfer, for those of you that have an interest in local history).
Cosgrave: The surname Cosgrave is derived from Gaelic words that translate into “”victorious” and “triumphant”. During the 19th Century, there were 159 Cosgrave households in County Wexford. It is worth noting that the surname Cosker is an anglicized version of the name.
Crosbie: The Crosbie family were mostly situated in County Wexford and County Kerry. The name is of Scottish origins.
Cullen: The Cullen family are primarily located in Dublin and the south-east, in counties Wexford and Wicklow. The name is of Gaelic origin and it appeared before the 8th Century.
Devereux: This surname is of Norman origin. The name translates into “from Évreux”, which is a town that is situated in the Normandy region of France.
Doyle: The name Doyle is of Norse origin and it probably appeared in Ireland following the arrival of the Vikings in the 9th Century. The name is derived from a Gaelic phrase that translates into “the dark stranger.”
Kinsella: This name is of Gaelic origin. It is derived from an Irish word called “Cinnsealach”, which translates into “Proud”. This is one of the only genuine Irish names that didn’t have “Mac” or “O'” prefixed onto it.
Kirwan: The Kirwan family were mostly situated in counties Wexford and Galway. The surname derives from an old Gaelic name called O’ Ciardhubhan.
Larkin: The surname Larkin is an Anglicization of the Gaelic surname Ó Lorcáin. The English version of the surname is short for the name Laurence. There is also a place name in County Wexford called Larkin’s Cross.
Murphy: This is the most popular surname in Ireland. County Wexford in particular was a stronghold for the Murphy Clan; as it held a number of territories there.
Roche: An Anglo-Norman surname that would have appeared in Wexford after the invasion of 1169. The Norman tower house in Ferrycarrig was built by the Roche family during the 1400s.
Rossiter: This surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin. Settlers with this name are believed to have come from the Rochester in Lincolnshire, England. A survey from the 1800s shows that there were 168 Rossiter households in County Wexford.
Shiggins: A rare surname. During the property survey of 1847-64, this surname only existed in County Wexford.
Stafford: An English surname that derives from the locational name of Stafford, which is a town in the West Midlands of England.
Whitty: An Anglo-Norman surname. Ballyteigue Castle in Kilmore was built by a Norman settler called Sir Walter de Whitty. The name derives from the English word “witty”.
Think we’re missing a surname? Shoot us an email.
