Home › Irish Surnames › Crowley

Irish surname

Crowley: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Cruadhlaoich · 'descendant of Cruadhlaoch' (hard-hero)

Woulfe (1923) gives Crowley as an English form of Ó Cruadhlaoich, 'descendant of Cruadhlaoch' (hard-hero), the name of a branch of the MacDermotts in Co. Roscommon. The same Irish spelling is used by a family originally seated in West Cork, now numerous throughout Munster and 'probably a branch of the O'Mahonys'; Woulfe heard their name pronounced Ó Croghallaigh, 'evidently a corruption of Mac Roghallaigh'. In 1890, 116 of 161 Crowley births were in Cork.

Shop Crowley crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Crowley surname
Irish formÓ Cruadhlaoich
Meaning'descendant of Cruadhlaoch' (hard-hero)
CountiesCork, Roscommon
Other spellings4

Origin of the Crowley name

Woulfe gives two families: (1) a branch of the MacDermotts in Co. Roscommon, named from Diarmaid 'an cruadhlaoch', fourth in descent from the MacDermott eponym; (2) a family originally seated in West Cork, now numerous throughout Munster, 'probably a branch of the O'Mahonys'. Their spoken form, Ó Croghallaigh, is 'evidently a corruption of Mac Roghallaigh'.[1][2]

  1. 1832Fenian Peter O'Neill Crowley born at Ballymacoda, Co. Cork, 23 May.[3]
  2. 1867Peter O'Neill Crowley mortally wounded at Kilclooney Wood, Co. Cork.[3]
  3. 1890161 Crowley births (incl. spelling variants), 116 of them in Cork.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. CorkWest Cork family, once strong there; 116 of 161 Crowley births in 1890 were in Cork.[1][5]
Co. RoscommonA branch of the MacDermotts bearing Ó Cruadhlaoich; 'still represented in Connacht'.[1]

Notable people named Crowley

Peter O'Neill Crowley1832–1867Fenian from Ballymacoda, Co. Cork; took the field in March 1867; died of wounds after Kilclooney Wood.[3]
William Crolly1780–1849Bearer of the variant Crolly; born in Co. Down; Bishop of Down and Connor, then Archbishop of Armagh from 1835.[4]

Other spellings

O'Crowley · Crawley · Croly · Crolly[1]

The Crowley coat of arms

The name appears as 'O CROWLY' in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as printed by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named Crowley is entitled to a coat of arms.[6]

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

Crowley crest gifts

Clan Ocrowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapXN74 Classic Cap - Ocrowley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ocrowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Crowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapBE87 Classic Cap - Crowley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Crowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Crowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap EQ72 Crowley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Crowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Crowley surname: questions

What does the surname Crowley mean?

Woulfe gives it as Ó Cruadhlaoich, 'descendant of Cruadhlaoch', which he translates 'hard-hero'. For the West Cork family he adds that the spoken Irish form, Ó Croghallaigh, is 'evidently a corruption of Mac Roghallaigh', 'son of Roghallach'.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Crowley name from?

Woulfe places one family originally in West Cork, now numerous throughout Munster, and another, a MacDermott branch, in Co. Roscommon. In 1890, 116 of the 161 Crowley births were in Cork.[1][5]

Are the Crowleys related to the O'Mahonys?

Woulfe says the West Cork family 'is probably a branch of the O'Mahonys'; he gives this as probable, not certain.[1]

Are Croly and Crolly the same name as Crowley?

Woulfe lists Croly and Crolly among the anglicised forms of Ó Cruadhlaoich and says Croly and Crolly in the northern parts of Ireland are 'apparently similar corruptions'.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Cruadhlaoich — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cruadhlaoich.php
  2. Mac Roghallaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macr/mac-roghallaigh.php
  3. Peter O'Neill Crowley — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/PeterONeillCrowley.php
  4. William Crolly — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/WilliamCrolly.php
  5. Crowley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/crowley.php
  6. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php

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