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Irish surname

Power: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

de Paor · Norman 'le Poer', i.e. 'the poor' (Old French 'povre, paure', Latin pauper)

Power is a Norman name, not a Gaelic one. Woulfe (1923) gives it as de Paor, from Norman 'le Poer', 'the poor'; the family's ancestor came to Ireland with Strongbow and was granted the territory of Waterford. In 1890 Power was Ireland's 54th commonest surname, about 12,100 people.

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Coat of arms associated with the Power surname
Irish formde Paor
MeaningNorman 'le Poer', i.e. 'the poor' (Old French 'povre, paure', Latin pauper)
CountiesWaterford, Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny
Other spellings3

Origin of the Power name

Norman (Woulfe). The ancestor 'came to Ireland with Strongbow, from whom he obtained a grant of the territory of Waterford'. In 1535 Sir Richard le Poer was created Baron of Curraghmore; through failure of the male line, at the beginning of the 18th century the Curraghmore estates passed by marriage to the Beresfords.[1]

  1. With StrongbowThe family's ancestor comes to Ireland and is granted Waterford.[1]
  2. 1535Sir Richard le Poer created Baron of Curraghmore.[1]
  3. Beginning of the 18th centuryMale line fails; Curraghmore estates pass by marriage to the Beresfords.[1]
  4. 1789Marguerite Power, later Countess of Blessington, born at Knockbrit, Co. Tipperary.[3]
  5. 1890272 Power births, chiefly Waterford, Cork, Dublin, Tipperary, Wexford, Kilkenny, Limerick.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. WaterfordGranted to the family's ancestor by Strongbow; 125 Power entries in 1890, the county's leading name.[1][5]
Co. CorkSecond county named for Power births in 1890.[4]
Co. TipperaryAmong the counties where Power was principally found in 1890.[4]
Co. Kilkenny17 Power entries in the 1890 Births Index.[4][6]
Co. WexfordAmong the counties where Power was principally found in 1890.[4]

Notable people named Power

Sir Richard le Poercreated baron 1535Created Baron of Curraghmore in 1535.[1]
Marguerite Power, Countess of Blessington1789–1849Daughter of Edmund Power, born at Knockbrit, Tipperary; author of Journal of Conversations with Lord Byron (1832).[3]

Other spellings

Poer · Poor · le Poer[1][2]

The Power coat of arms

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

Power crest gifts

Clan Power Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapCN81 Classic Cap - Power Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Power Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Power Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap IU95 Power Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Power Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Power surname: questions

Is Power an Irish name?

Woulfe gives it as a Norman name, 'le Poer', with the Irish form de Paor. He says the family's ancestor came to Ireland with Strongbow and was granted the territory of Waterford, and that the name is 'now very common and widespread, especially in Munster and Leinster'.[1]

What does the surname Power mean?

Woulfe derives it from Norman 'le Poer' (also 'le Pover', 'le Pouer', 'le Power', 'le Poor'), i.e. 'the poor', from Old French 'povre, paure', Latin pauper; he suggests, following Bardsley, poverty 'consequent on a vow' rather than ordinary poverty.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Power name from?

Waterford above all: in 1890 it was the leading name in the county (125 entries). Matheson found all but 17 of the 272 Power births in Waterford, Cork, Dublin, Tipperary, Wexford, Kilkenny and Limerick.[4][5]

What is Power in Irish?

de Paor (also written Paor), according to Woulfe.[1][2]

Sources

  1. De Paor — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-paor.php
  2. Paor — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/p/paor.php
  3. Marguerite, Countess of Blessington — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/MargueriteBlessington.php
  4. Power — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/power.php
  5. Registration Province of Munster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/munster-names.php
  6. Registration Province of Leinster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/leinster-names.php

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