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Irish surname

Finnerty: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Fionnachta, Ó Fionnachtaigh · 'descendant of Fionnachta' (fair-snow)

Woulfe (1923) gives Finnerty and Finerty as anglicised forms of Ó Fionnachta, 'descendant of Fionnachta' (fair-snow), the name of a Connacht family of the Sil-Murry, 'of the same stock as the O'Connors', seated on the west and east sides of the Suck in the counties of Galway and Roscommon. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 28 entries including spelling varieties (14 spelled Finnerty, 10 Finerty), principally in Galway.

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Coat of arms associated with the Finnerty surname
Irish formÓ Fionnachta, Ó Fionnachtaigh
Meaning'descendant of Fionnachta' (fair-snow)
CountiesRoscommon, Galway
Other spellings7

Origin of the Finnerty name

Woulfe: a Connacht family, a branch of the Siol Muireadhaigh (Sil-Murry), of the same stock as the O'Connors, who seem to have formed two clans, Clann Chonnmhaigh and Clann Mhurchadha, west and east of the Suck in Galway and Roscommon. Another family of the name, a branch of the Ui Maine, was anciently settled in south-east Co. Galway.[1]

  1. 1135Four Masters: Maelisa Ua Finnachta, comharba of Ros-Commain, died.[7]
  2. 1225Four Masters: Murray O'Finaghty, Chief of Clann-Murrough, died in a vessel on Lough Corrib.[8]
  3. 1269Four Masters: Hugh O'Finaghty, a learned minstrel, died.[9]
  4. 1354Four Masters: John O'Finaghty, Bishop of Elphin, died.[10]
  5. 1797Peter Finnerty, printer of the Press, tried for libel; pilloried and imprisoned.[11]
  6. 189028 birth entries incl. varieties (14 Finnerty, 10 Finerty); principally Galway.[3][6]

Where in Ireland

Co. RoscommonÓ Fionnachta of Clann Chonnmhaigh had his castle at Dunamon, Co. Roscommon.[1]
Co. GalwayClans beside the Suck; a Ui Maine branch in south-east Galway; the county named for 1890 births.[1][3]

Notable people named Finnerty

Peter Finnerty1766?–1822Born at Loughrea; printer of the Press (1797), pilloried for libel; later a Morning Chronicle reporter in London.[11][12]

Other spellings

Finerty · Feenaghty · Finnaghty · Finaghty · Fenaghty · Fenaughty · Fannerty[1][3][4]

The Finnerty coat of arms

'O FINAGHTY' is printed in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as reproduced by Matheson. Woulfe prints Finaghty among the anglicised forms of Ó Fionnachta. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named Finnerty is entitled to a coat of arms.[5][1]

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

Finnerty crest gifts

Clan Finnerty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap NI42 Finnerty Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Finnerty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Ofinnerty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap JO89 Ofinnerty Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Ofinnerty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Ofinnerty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapBE81 Classic Cap - Ofinnerty Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ofinnerty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Finnerty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapYV39 Classic Cap - Finnerty Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Finnerty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Finnerty surname: questions

What does the surname Finnerty mean?

Woulfe gives Finnerty as a form of Ó Fionnachta, 'descendant of Fionnachta', a personal name he glosses as 'fair-snow'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Finnerty name from?

Woulfe places the Ó Fionnachta family in Connacht, on the west and east sides of the river Suck in the counties of Galway and Roscommon, with a castle at Dunamon, Co. Roscommon. In 1890 Finnerty births were found principally in Galway.[1][3]

Are Finnerty and Fenton the same name?

Woulfe links them. He prints (Fenton) in brackets under Ó Fionnachta and says the name 'is not uncommon in Munster, but is often disguised under the anglicised form of Fenton'. Under Ó Fiannachta, 'a common form of Ó Fionnachta', he says it is 'now generally anglicised Fenton in Munster'.[1][2]

Were the Finnertys related to the O'Connors?

Woulfe says the Connacht Ó Fionnachta family were a branch of the Sil-Murry 'of the same stock as the O'Connors of that province', and that Ó Fionnachta of Clann Chonnmhaigh, 'as the representative of the senior branch of the Sil-Murry', had the privilege of drinking the first cup at every royal banquet.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Fionnachta, Ó Fionnachtaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-fionnachta.php
  2. Ó Fiannachta — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-fiannachta.php
  3. Finnerty — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/finnerty.php
  4. Finnerty — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/611.php
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1135 (vol. B, part 24) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text024.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1225 (vol. C, part 6) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text006.html
  9. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1269 (vol. C, part 10) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text010.html
  10. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1354 (vol. C, part 19) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text019.html
  11. Peter Finnerty — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/PeterFinnerty.php
  12. Finnerty, Peter — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 (Thompson Cooper), 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).