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Irish surname

Garvey: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Gairbheith, Ó Gairbhith; Mac Gairbheith, Mac Gairbhith · 'descendant of Gairbhith' (rough peace); also Mac Gairbheith, 'son of Gairbhith'

Woulfe (1923) gives Garvey as an anglicised form of Ó Gairbheith, 'descendant of Gairbhith' (rough peace), the name of an ancient family in Co. Down and of families who were anciently chiefs in Co. Armagh and Co. Carlow, and says the name is 'now well represented in all parts of Ireland'; Garvey is also a form of the Ulster name Mac Gairbheith, very common in Donegal. John Garvey (1527–1595) was archbishop of Armagh. In 1890 Garvey births were principally in Kerry, Mayo, Galway and Louth.

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Coat of arms associated with the Garvey surname
Irish formÓ Gairbheith, Ó Gairbhith; Mac Gairbheith, Mac Gairbhith
Meaning'descendant of Gairbhith' (rough peace); also Mac Gairbheith, 'son of Gairbhith'
CountiesDown, Armagh, Carlow, Donegal
Other spellings4

Origin of the Garvey name

Woulfe names three Ó Gairbheith families: (1) in Co. Down, of the same stock as the Maguinnesses, chiefs of Ui Eathach Cobha (barony of Iveagh); (2) an Oriel family, chiefs of Ui Breasail (barony of Oneilland East, Co. Armagh), dispossessed early by the MacCanns; (3) a Ui Ceinnsealaigh branch, chiefs of Ui Feilmeadha Thuaidh (barony of Rathvilly, Co. Carlow).[1]

  1. 1027Four Masters: Culocha Ua Gairbhith, lord of Ui-Meith, 'mutually fell' with Ua Crichain.[7]
  2. 1527John Garvey, later archbishop of Armagh, born in Co. Kilkenny.[8]
  3. 1589John Garvey translated from Kilmore to the archbishopric of Armagh.[8]
  4. 1595Archbishop John Garvey died in Dublin, 2 March.[8]
  5. 189064 entries incl. varieties (60 Garvey); principally Kerry, Mayo, Galway, Louth.[5][10]

Where in Ireland

Co. DownWoulfe: Ó Gairbheith chiefs of Ui Eathach Cobha, the present barony of Iveagh.[1]
Co. ArmaghWoulfe: an Oriel family, anciently chiefs of Ui Breasail (barony of Oneilland East).[1]
Co. CarlowWoulfe: a Ui Ceinnsealaigh branch, anciently chiefs of Ui Feilmeadha Thuaidh (barony of Rathvilly).[1]
Co. DonegalWoulfe: Mac Gairbheith (MacGarvey, Garvey) is 'an Ulster surname, very common in Donegal'.[4]
Co. KerryWoulfe calls Ó Gairbhfhéich (Garvey) a Kerry surname; first county named for Garvey births in 1890.[2][5]
Co. MayoWoulfe prints (Garvey) in brackets under Ó Gairbhín: in Mayo it 'is always anglicised Garvey'.[3][5]
Co. GalwayAmong the four counties where Garvey births were principally found in 1890.[5]
Co. LouthAmong the four counties where Garvey births were principally found in 1890.[5]

Notable people named Garvey

John Garvey1527–1595Archbishop of Armagh from 1589; eldest son of John O'Garvey of Morisk, Co. Mayo; born in Co. Kilkenny.[8]
Edmund Garveyd. 1813Landscape painter and Royal Academician (1783); 'probably of Irish parentage', first exhibited in Dublin.[9]

Other spellings

O Garvey · MacGarvey · M'Garvie · Garveagh[1]

The Garvey coat of arms

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

Garvey crest gifts

Clan Ogarvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapDX20 Classic Cap - Ogarvey Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ogarvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Garvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapOS18 Classic Cap - Garvey Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Garvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Garvey surname: questions

What does the surname Garvey mean?

Woulfe gives Garvey as a form of Ó Gairbheith, 'descendant of Gairbhith', a personal name he glosses as 'rough peace'. In Ulster it can also stand for Mac Gairbheith, 'son of Gairbhith'.[1][4]

Is Garvey an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe gives Garvey as an anglicised form of Ó Gairbheith, of Mac Gairbheith and of the Kerry name Ó Gairbhfhéich. He also prints (Garvey) in brackets under Ó Gairbhín, adding that in Co. Mayo that name 'is always anglicised Garvey'.[1][2][3][4]

Where in Ireland is the Garvey name from?

Woulfe names an ancient Ó Gairbheith family in Co. Down and families who were anciently chiefs in Co. Armagh and Co. Carlow, a Mac Gairbheith name very common in Donegal, and a Kerry form, Ó Gairbhfhéich. In 1890 Garvey births were principally found in Kerry, Mayo, Galway and Louth.[1][2][3][4][5]

Who was Archbishop John Garvey?

The Dictionary of National Biography says John Garvey (1527–1595), eldest son of John O'Garvey of Morisk, Co. Mayo, was born in Co. Kilkenny, was promoted to the bishopric of Kilmore, was translated to the archbishopric of Armagh in May 1589, and died in Dublin on 2 March 1595.[8]

Sources

  1. Ó Gairbheith — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gairbheith.php
  2. Ó Gairbhfhéich — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gairbhfheich.php
  3. Ó Gairbhín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gairbhin.php
  4. Mac Gairbheith — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-gairbheith-mac-gairbhith.php
  5. Garvey — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/garvey.php
  6. Garvey (list 677) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/677.php
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1027 (part 13) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text013.html
  8. Garvey, John — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...
  9. Garvey, Edmund — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...
  10. 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

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