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Irish surname

Begley: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Beaglaoich · 'descendant of the little hero' (Irish beaglaoch); perhaps originally Ó Beigfhile, 'descendant of the little poet'

Woulfe (1923) gives Begley as an anglicised form of Ó Beaglaoich, 'descendant of the little hero', and says that in the 16th century the surname was almost peculiar to Donegal and Cork. He adds that the O'Begleys of Cork seem to have come south with the MacSweeneys, under whom they served as gallowglasses. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 39 entries including spelling varieties (36 spelled Begley), principally in Kerry and Donegal.

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Coat of arms associated with the Begley surname
Irish formÓ Beaglaoich
Meaning'descendant of the little hero' (Irish beaglaoch); perhaps originally Ó Beigfhile, 'descendant of the little poet'
CountiesDonegal, Cork, Kerry
Other spellings6

Origin of the Begley name

Woulfe: Ó Beaglaoich, 'descendant of the little hero', 'but perhaps the original name was Ó Beigfhile, descendant of the little poet'. In the 16th century the surname was 'almost peculiar to Donegal and Cork'; the O'Begleys of Cork 'seem to have come southwards with the MacSweeneys, under whom they served as gallowglasses'.[1]

  1. 16th centuryBegley almost peculiar to Donegal and Cork, per Woulfe.[1]
  2. 1732English-Irish dictionary by Hugh MacCurtin and Conor O'Begly published in Paris.[6]
  3. 189039 birth entries incl. spelling varieties (36 Begley); chiefly Kerry and Donegal.[3][4]

Where in Ireland

Co. DonegalWoulfe: the name was almost peculiar to Donegal and Cork in the 16th century; a principal 1890 county.[1][3]
Co. CorkO'Begleys of Cork seem to have come south with the MacSweeneys as gallowglasses (Woulfe).[1]
Co. KerryFirst county named for Begley births in the 1890 birth indexes.[3]

Notable people named Begley

Conor O'BeglyCompiled an English-Irish dictionary with Hugh MacCurtin, published in Paris in 1732.[6]

Other spellings

O Beagly · O Begely · O Biggely · O Begley · Bagley · Bigly[1]

The Begley coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Begley surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Begley crest gifts

Clan Begley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap MR53 Begley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Begley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Begley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapUI26 Classic Cap - Begley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Begley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Begley surname: questions

What does the surname Begley mean?

Woulfe gives Begley as a form of Ó Beaglaoich, 'descendant of the little hero' (Irish beaglaoch), but says the original name was perhaps Ó Beigfhile, 'descendant of the little poet'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Begley name from?

Woulfe says that in the 16th century the surname was almost peculiar to Donegal and Cork. In the 1890 birth indexes Begley births were principally found in Kerry and Donegal.[1][3]

Were the Begleys gallowglasses?

Woulfe says the O'Begleys of Cork 'seem to have come southwards with the MacSweeneys, under whom they served as gallowglasses'. He does not say this of every Begley family.[1]

Is Beglin the same name as Begley?

Woulfe treats them as a different name: he lists Beglin and Beglan under Ó Beigleighinn, 'descendant of the little scholar', the name of a medical family in Longford, Leitrim and Sligo, not under Ó Beaglaoich (Begley).[2]

Sources

  1. Ó Beaglaoich — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-beaglaoich.php
  2. Ó Beigleighinn — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-beigleighinn.php
  3. Begley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/begley.php
  4. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  5. Begley (79) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/79.php
  6. MacCurtin, Hugh — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, vol. 35 (Norman Moore), Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).