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Irish surname

Cassidy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Caiside (variant Ó Casaide) · 'descendant of *Caiside'

Woulfe (1923) gives Cassidy as an anglicised form of Ó Caiside, the name of a distinguished medical family in Fermanagh who were hereditary physicians to the Maguires. Ruaidhri O'Casside, archdeacon of Clogher, who died in 1541, wrote the greater part of one manuscript copy (the 'B' copy) of the Annals of Ulster. In 1890, 141 Cassidy births (including spelling varieties) were registered in Ireland, most of them in Ulster.

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Coat of arms associated with the Cassidy surname
Irish formÓ Caiside (variant Ó Casaide)
Meaning'descendant of *Caiside'
CountiesFermanagh, Donegal, Dublin, Antrim
Other spellings6

Origin of the Cassidy name

Ó Caiside was 'a distinguished medical family in Fermanagh who were hereditary physicians to the Maguires'. Branches had settled in the midland counties before the end of the 16th century. Woulfe also prints '(Cassidy)', in brackets, among the anglicised forms of Mac Casarlaigh, 'an old Roscommon surname' whose forms include Casserly.[1][3]

  1. 1541Archdeacon Ruaidhri O'Casside died; he wrote most of the 'B' copy of the Annals.[7][9]
  2. Before the end of the 16th centuryBranches of the Ó Caiside family had settled in the midland counties.[1]
  3. 1890141 Cassidy births registered (incl. varieties), chiefly in Donegal, Dublin, Antrim and Fermanagh.[5][4]

Where in Ireland

Co. FermanaghHome of the Ó Caiside physicians to the Maguires; 17 Cassidy entries in Fermanagh in 1890.[1][5][6]
Co. DonegalFirst county named for Cassidy births in 1890.[5]
Co. DublinAmong the counties where Cassidy was principally found in 1890.[5]
Co. AntrimAmong the counties where Cassidy was principally found in 1890.[5]

Notable people named Cassidy

Ruaidhri O'Casside (Roderick Cassidy)died 1541Archdeacon of Clogher; wrote most of the 'B' copy of the Annals of Ulster and a register of Clogher diocese.[7][8][9]

Other spellings

O Cassidy · Cassedy · Kessidy · O Kesedy · O Cashedy · O Cassada[1]

The Cassidy coat of arms

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

Cassidy crest gifts

Clan Cassidy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap WA45 Cassidy Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Cassidy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Ocassidy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapJQ75 Classic Cap - Ocassidy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ocassidy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Cassidy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapKZ67 Classic Cap - Cassidy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Cassidy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Cassidy surname: questions

What does the surname Cassidy mean?

Woulfe gives Cassidy as a form of Ó Caiside, 'descendant of Caiside'. He marks the personal name Caiside with an asterisk and gives no translation of it.[1]

Is Cassidy an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe lists Cassidy as an anglicised form of Ó Caiside (and its variant Ó Casaide), a Fermanagh family.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Cassidy name from?

The Ó Caiside family was from Fermanagh, where they were hereditary physicians to the Maguires. In 1890 Cassidy births were found principally in Donegal, Dublin, Antrim and Fermanagh, 96 of 141 of them in Ulster.[1][5]

Were the Cassidys doctors?

Woulfe describes the Ó Caiside family as 'a distinguished medical family in Fermanagh who were hereditary physicians to the Maguires'.[1]

Did a Cassidy write the Annals of Ulster?

The Annals of Ulster, at the year 1541, record the death of Ruaidhri O'Casside, archdeacon of Clochar (Clogher), 'he that wrote this book for the greater part'. The editor of the CELT edition notes that 'this book' is the B copy, one manuscript copy of the Annals.[7][9]

Sources

  1. Ó Caiside — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-caiside.php
  2. Ó Casaide — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-casaide.php
  3. Mac Casarlaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-casarlaigh.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. Cassidy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/cassidy.php
  6. Registration Province of Ulster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/ulster-names.php
  7. The Annals of Ulster, year U1541 (translation), Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100001C/text164.html
  8. Clogher — Catholic Encyclopedia (James MacCaffrey, 1908), New Advent. newadvent.org/cathen/04059c.htm
  9. The Annals of Ulster, note 1 to U1541.2 (editor's footnote), Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100001C/note001.html

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