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Irish surname

Kirwan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Ciardubháin · 'descendant of Ciardubhán' (diminutive of ciardubh, jet-black)

Woulfe (1923) gives Kirwan as an anglicised form of Ó Ciardubháin, 'descendant of Ciardubhán' (from ciardubh, jet-black), the name of a family anciently erenaghs of Louth and apparently of another in Co. Clare. He says the Kirwans were later an important family in the city of Galway, and that their claim to English origin is 'rightly denied by O'Donovan'. Marshall (1924) names Kirwan in the rhyme of the Tribes of Galway.

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Coat of arms associated with the Kirwan surname
Irish formÓ Ciardubháin
Meaning'descendant of Ciardubhán' (diminutive of ciardubh, jet-black)
CountiesClare, Galway, Dublin, Wexford
Other spellings7

Origin of the Kirwan name

Woulfe: Ó Ciardubháin was 'the name of a family who were anciently erenaghs of Louth, and apparently of another family in Co. Clare'. 'The Kirwans were in later times an important family in the city of Galway. Their claim to be of English origin is rightly denied by O'Donovan, there being no such English family name.'[1]

  1. 1589Francis Kirwan, later Bishop of Killala, born in Galway.[6]
  2. 1645Francis Kirwan consecrated Bishop of Killala at Paris, 7 May.[6]
  3. 1781Chemist Richard Kirwan gained the Copley medal.[7]
  4. 1800Walter Blake Kirwan advanced to the deanery of Killala.[8]
  5. 189059 birth entries including spelling varieties (42 spelled Kirwan); Dublin, Wexford, Tipperary.[2][4]

Where in Ireland

Co. ClareWoulfe: 'apparently' another Ó Ciardubháin family in Co. Clare.[1]
Co. GalwayWoulfe: later an important family in the city of Galway; Marshall (1924) names Kirwan among the Tribes of Galway.[1][5]
Co. DublinFirst of three counties where Kirwan births were principally found in 1890.[2]
Co. WexfordAmong the counties where Kirwan births were principally found in 1890.[2]
Co. TipperaryAmong the counties where Kirwan births were principally found in 1890.[2]

Notable people named Kirwan

Francis Kirwan1589–1661Born in Galway; Bishop of Killala from 1645; banished to France in 1655; died at Rennes.[6]
Richard Kirwand. 1812Chemist and geologist born in Co. Galway; Copley medal 1781; for some time President of the Royal Irish Academy.[7]
Walter Blake Kirwan1754–1805Born in Co. Galway; 'a distinguished preacher' (Webb); rector of St. Peter's, Dublin, from 1787; Dean of Killala from 1800.[8]

Other spellings

O'Kirwan · Kirwin · Kirvan · Kerevan · Kierevan · Kiervan · Kerwin[1]

The Kirwan coat of arms

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

Kirwan crest gifts

Clan Okirwan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapHI82 Classic Cap - Okirwan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Okirwan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Kirwan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapYB44 Classic Cap - Kirwan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Kirwan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Okirwan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap XE60 Okirwan Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Okirwan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Kirwan surname: questions

What does the surname Kirwan mean?

Woulfe gives Kirwan as a form of Ó Ciardubháin, 'descendant of Ciardubhán', a diminutive of ciardubh, 'jet-black'.[1]

Is Kirwan Irish or English?

Woulfe gives the name as the Irish Ó Ciardubháin and says the Kirwans' 'claim to be of English origin is rightly denied by O'Donovan, there being no such English family name'.[1]

Were the Kirwans one of the Tribes of Galway?

Marshall's Popular Rhymes and Sayings of Ireland (1924) names Kirwan in the rhyme of the fourteen Tribes of Galway. He says Cromwell's forces first applied the name as a term of reproach, and the families afterwards adopted it as an honourable mark of distinction. Woulfe says only that the Kirwans were later an important family in the city of Galway.[5]

Where in Ireland is the Kirwan name from?

Woulfe says Ó Ciardubháin were anciently erenaghs of Louth, apparently with another family in Co. Clare, and that the Kirwans were later important in Galway city. In 1890 Kirwan births were principally found in Dublin, Wexford and Tipperary.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Ó Ciardubháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-ciardubhain.php
  2. Kirwan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/kirwan.php
  3. Kirwan — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1035.php
  4. 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
  5. The City of the Tribes — Popular Rhymes and Sayings of Ireland (John Johnson Marshall, 1924), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/social-history/popular-rhymes/city-tribes.php
  6. Bishop Francis Kirwan — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/BishopFrancisKirwan.php
  7. Richard Kirwan — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RichardKirwan.php
  8. Walter Blake Kirwan — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/WalterBlakeKirwan.php

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