Home › Irish Surnames › Harty

Irish surname

Harty: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó hAthartaigh (spoken Ó hÁrtaigh, Ó hÁrta); also Mac Artaigh · 'descendant of Fathartach' (same as Faghartach)

Woulfe (1923) gives Harty as an anglicised form of Ó hAthartaigh, 'descendant of Fathartach', which he says was, according to Mageoghegan, the name of an Offaly family and was common in Tipperary, Limerick, Cork and Kerry at the end of the 16th century. He also lists a separate, rare Co. Mayo surname, Mac Artaigh. In 1890 the birth indexes held 17 Harty entries, 16 of them in Munster.

Shop Harty crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Harty surname
Irish formÓ hAthartaigh (spoken Ó hÁrtaigh, Ó hÁrta); also Mac Artaigh
Meaning'descendant of Fathartach' (same as Faghartach)
CountiesTipperary, Cork, Kerry, Limerick
Other spellings5

Origin of the Harty name

Woulfe: Ó hAthartaigh is a variant of Ó Fathartaigh 'owing to the aspiration of the initial f'; 'the name, according to Mageoghegan, of an Offaly family. At the end of the 16th century, it was common in Tipperary, Limerick, Cork and Kerry.' Separately, Mac Artaigh (Harty, Hearty) is 'a rare Co. Mayo surname'.[1][3]

  1. 189017 Harty birth entries (Munster 16); principally Tipperary, Cork and Kerry.[5]
  2. 1925Hamilton Harty, conductor of the Hallé Orchestra, is knighted.[8]

Where in Ireland

Co. TipperaryFirst county Matheson names for Harty births in 1890; Woulfe: common there at the end of the 16th century.[5][1]
Co. CorkA principal county for Harty births in 1890; common there at the end of the 16th century (Woulfe).[5][1]
Co. KerryA principal county for Harty births in 1890; common there at the end of the 16th century (Woulfe).[5][1]
Co. LimerickWoulfe: Ó hAthartaigh was common in Limerick at the end of the 16th century.[1]
Co. OffalyWoulfe, citing Mageoghegan: Ó hAthartaigh was the name of an Offaly family.[1]
Co. MayoWoulfe: Mac Artaigh (Harty, Hearty) is a rare Co. Mayo surname.[3]

Notable people named Harty

Sir Hamilton Hartyd. 1941Born at Hillsborough, Co. Down; the Dictionary of Ulster Biography gives 4 December 1880, other published accounts 1879; composer, organist and conductor of the Hallé Orchestra, Manchester, 1920–1933; wrote An Irish Symphony.[8]

Other spellings

O Harty · O Haherty · O Harta · Hearty · Hartry[1]

The Harty coat of arms

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

Harty crest gifts

Clan Harty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap OH60 Harty Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Harty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Oharty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapZJ96 Classic Cap - Oharty Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Oharty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Harty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapDS35 Classic Cap - Harty Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Harty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Oharty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap LN14 Oharty Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Oharty Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Harty surname: questions

What does the surname Harty mean?

Woulfe gives Ó hAthartaigh, 'descendant of Fathartach' (the same personal name as Faghartach). For the Mayo name Mac Artaigh he gives 'apparently "son of Artach," but probably corrupt'.[1][3]

Is Harty an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe lists Harty as an anglicised form of the Irish surnames Ó hAthartaigh (shortened in speech to Ó hÁrtaigh and Ó hÁrta) and Mac Artaigh.[1][2][3]

Where in Ireland is the Harty name from?

Woulfe says Ó hAthartaigh was an Offaly family according to Mageoghegan, and common in Tipperary, Limerick, Cork and Kerry at the end of the 16th century. In 1890, 16 of the 17 Harty births were in Munster, principally Tipperary, Cork and Kerry.[1][5]

Is Harty related to Harrington?

Sometimes in records. Woulfe says Ó hOireachtaigh is 'often disguised under the anglicised forms of Harty, Geraghty, Harrington, and even O'Connor', and Matheson's 1901 list prints 'Harty [Harrington]' among names 'found to have been used interchangeably' in the registration records.[4][6][7]

Sources

  1. Ó hAthartaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-hathartaigh.php
  2. Ó hÁrta, Ó hÁrtaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-harta.php
  3. Mac Artaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-artaigh.php
  4. Ó hOireachtaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-hoireachtaigh.php
  5. Harty — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/harty.php
  6. Harty — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/834.php
  7. Memorandum explanatory of Alphabetical List — Varieties and Synonymes (Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/memorandum.php
  8. Hamilton Harty (1880 - 1941): Composer and conductor — Dictionary of Ulster Biography, Dictionary of Ulster Biography (newulsterbiography.co.uk). newulsterbiography.co.uk/index.php/home/viewPerson/647

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