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Irish surname

Carr: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Carra · 'descendant of Carra' (spear)

Woulfe (1923) gives Carr as an anglicised form of several different Irish names, and of the Norman name de Cathair. His entry Ó Carra, 'descendant of Carra' (spear), is a common Ulster surname, also found in Co. Galway. Others include Mac Giolla Chathair (a Donegal surname), Ó Carraidhín (anglicised Carr in Mayo and Galway) and Mac Ceara (in use in Co. Galway). In 1890, 90 Carr birth entries including spelling varieties were registered in Ireland.

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Coat of arms associated with the Carr surname
Irish formÓ Carra
Meaning'descendant of Carra' (spear)
CountiesDonegal, Galway, Dublin, Mayo
Other spellings8
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Carr crest gifts

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Origin of the Carr name

Woulfe, Ó Carra: 'descendant of Carra' (spear); 'a common Ulster surname, the same as that written Ó Cairre in the Annals of Ulster and Four Masters. Also found in Co. Galway.' Several other names are also anglicised Carr: see the FAQ.[1]

  1. 189090 entries including spelling varieties (85 spelled Carr): Leinster 21, Munster 10, Ulster 35, Connaught 24.[8]

Where in Ireland

Co. DonegalWoulfe: Mac Giolla Chathair is a Donegal surname; Matheson 1890: principally Donegal.[2][8]
Co. GalwayWoulfe: Ó Carra also found in Galway; Mac Ceara, Ó Cartha and Ó Carraidhín are Carr there. Matheson 1890: principally Galway.[1][4][5][7][8]
Co. DublinMatheson 1890: counties in which principally found Donegal, Galway, and Dublin.[8]
Co. MayoWoulfe: Ó Carraidhín is anglicised Carr in Mayo and Galway.[4]
Co. LimerickWoulfe: the Norman de Cathair is an old Co. Limerick family, still extant in the county.[6]

Notable people named Carr

George W. Carr1779–1849Rev., born at New Ross; founded a temperance society in 1829, said to have been the first in Ireland.[10]

Other spellings

Karr · Carre · Ker · McIlhair · McElhar · Wilhair · Kerrane · Kirrane[1][9]

The Carr coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Carr 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.

Carr surname: questions

What does the surname Carr mean?

Woulfe's entry Ó Carra gives it as 'descendant of Carra' (spear), a common Ulster surname, also found in Co. Galway. Other names anglicised Carr have different meanings, e.g. Mac Giolla Chathair, 'son of Giolla Chathair' (servant of St. Cathair).[1][2]

Is Carr an Irish name?

Woulfe lists Carr as an anglicised form of Ó Carra, Mac Giolla Chathair, Mac Cathaoir, Mac Ceara, Ó Carraidhín and Ó Cartha, and of the Norman name de Cathair.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Where in Ireland is the Carr name found?

Matheson's 1890 birth index gives Donegal, Galway and Dublin as the counties in which it was principally found, with 35 of 90 entries including spelling varieties in Ulster and 24 in Connaught.[8]

Is Carr the same name as Kerr?

Woulfe prints Carr, Karr and Kerr together among the forms of Ó Carra, and Carr and Kerr together under Mac Cathaoir. Matheson's variety list prints [Kerr] in brackets under Carr.[1][3][9]

Sources

  1. Ó Carra — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-carra.php
  2. Mac Giolla Chathair — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-chathair.php
  3. Mac Cathaoir — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cathaoir.php
  4. Ó Carraidhín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-carraidhin.php
  5. Mac Ceara — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-ceara.php
  6. de Cathair — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-cathair.php
  7. Ó Cartha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cartha.php
  8. Carr — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/carr.php
  9. Carr — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/246.php
  10. Carr, George W. — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/GeorgeWCarr.php

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