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Irish surname

Fleming: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Pléamonn, Pléimeann · Norman 'le Fleming', Latin 'Flandrensis', i.e. 'the Fleming, native of Flanders'

Woulfe (1923) gives Fleming as Norman 'le Fleming', 'the Fleming, native of Flanders': Flemings who had settled in south Wales came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion, and Richard le Fleming obtained the barony of Slane in Co. Meath. In 1890 there were 170 Fleming births in Ireland, in all four provinces.

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Coat of arms associated with the Fleming surname
Irish formPléamonn, Pléimeann
MeaningNorman 'le Fleming', Latin 'Flandrensis', i.e. 'the Fleming, native of Flanders'
CountiesMeath, Antrim, Dublin, Galway
Other spellings3

Origin of the Fleming name

Woulfe says Flemings driven to England by an irruption of the sea were moved by Henry I to south Wales, and 'from there they came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion'. Richard le Fleming obtained from Hugh de Lacy the barony of Slane and other estates in Co. Meath.[1]

  1. 1593Thomas Fleming, son of the Baron of Slane, born.[4]
  2. 1599Patrick Fleming, of the Lords of Slane's family, born at Lagan, Co. Louth.[2]
  3. 1623Thomas Fleming appointed Archbishop of Dublin by Urban VIII.[4]
  4. 1631Patrick Fleming, President of the Irish College at Prague, murdered while fleeing.[2]
  5. 1640Archbishop Fleming presides at a provincial synod of Dublin.[4]
  6. 1856Surgeon Christopher Fleming elected president of the College of Surgeons of Ireland.[5]
  7. 1890170 Fleming births registered, chiefly Antrim, Dublin, Galway, Londonderry, Cork and Mayo.[6]

Where in Ireland

Co. MeathBarony of Slane granted to Richard le Fleming; held by the family until the Cromwellian and Williamite confiscations.[1]
Co. AntrimFirst of the counties where Fleming was principally found in 1890.[6]
Co. DublinAmong the counties where Fleming was principally found in 1890.[6]
Co. GalwayAmong the counties where Fleming was principally found in 1890.[6]
Co. LondonderryAmong the counties where Fleming was principally found in 1890.[6]
Co. CorkAmong the counties where Fleming was principally found in 1890.[6]
Co. MayoAmong the counties where Fleming was principally found in 1890.[6]

Notable people named Fleming

Patrick Fleming (Christopher in baptism)1599–1631Franciscan of the family of the Lords of Slane; President of the Irish College, Prague; author of the Collectanea Sacra.[2][3]
Thomas Flemingb. 1593Son of the Baron of Slane; Franciscan, appointed Archbishop of Dublin in 1623; sided with the Confederates in 1642.[4]
Christopher Fleming1800–1880Surgeon born at Boardstown, Co. Westmeath; president of the College of Surgeons of Ireland in 1856.[5]

Other spellings

le Fleming · Flamang · Flemon[1]

Scottish connection

Woulfe says that the Flemings who sought shelter in England towards the end of the 11th century 'were at first allowed to settle on the Scottish borderlands', before Henry I moved them to south Wales, from where they came to Ireland.[1]

The Fleming coat of arms

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

Fleming crest gifts

Clan Fleming Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapEN33 Classic Cap - Fleming Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Fleming Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Fleming surname: questions

Is Fleming an Irish name?

Woulfe gives it as Norman 'le Fleming' (Irish Pléamonn): Flemings who came to Ireland from south Wales at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion. He adds that the name 'is now common in many parts of Ireland'.[1]

What does the surname Fleming mean?

'The Fleming, native of Flanders' (Latin 'Flandrensis'), according to Woulfe.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Fleming name from?

The best-known early family held the barony of Slane in Co. Meath, granted to Richard le Fleming by Hugh de Lacy. By 1890 the name was spread across all four provinces, principally in Antrim, Dublin, Galway, Londonderry, Cork and Mayo.[1][6]

Who were the Flemings of Slane?

The family of Richard le Fleming, who obtained Slane and other Meath estates from Hugh de Lacy; Woulfe says these 'remained in the family down to the Cromwellian and Williamite confiscations'. Archbishop Thomas Fleming of Dublin was a son of the Baron of Slane, and the Franciscan Patrick Fleming was 'of the family of the Lords of Slane'.[1][4][2]

Sources

  1. Pléamonn – Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/p/pleamonn.php
  2. Patrick Fleming – A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/PatrickFleming.php
  3. Patrick Fleming – Catholic Encyclopedia (1909), New Advent. newadvent.org/cathen/06100c.htm
  4. Thomas Fleming – Catholic Encyclopedia (1909), New Advent. newadvent.org/cathen/06101b.htm
  5. Fleming, Christopher – Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, vol. 19 (Norman Moore, 1889), Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...
  6. Fleming – Birth Indexes of 1890 – Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/fleming.php

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