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Irish surname

Burke: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

de Búrc, de Búrca · 'of the burgh' or 'borough'

Burke is not a Gaelic name: it comes from the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family, who came to Ireland in the 12th century. Woulfe (1923) ranks them with the Fitzgeralds and Butlers among the most illustrious Anglo-Norman settlers, and says the Burkes of Connacht became so Irish that they were at one time regarded as 'mere Irish'. In Matheson's 1890 survey Burke was the 29th most common surname in Ireland, about 15,900 people.

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Coat of arms associated with the Burke surname
Irish formde Búrc, de Búrca
Meaning'of the burgh' or 'borough'
CountiesGalway, Mayo, Limerick, Tipperary
Other spellings3

Origin of the Burke name

Anglo-Norman. Woulfe derives the family from William Fitz Adelm de Burgo, who came with Henry II in 1171 and obtained much of Connacht in 1179. After the 1333 murder of William, the Brown Earl of Ulster, the leading Burkes adopted Brehon law and divided Connacht as MacWilliam Uachtar (Galway) and MacWilliam Iochtar (Mayo).[1]

  1. 1171William Fitz Adelm de Burgo comes to Ireland with Henry II (Woulfe).[1]
  2. 1179Fitz Adelm obtains a grant of a great portion of Connacht (Woulfe).[1]
  3. 1204FitzAdelm buried at Athassel Abbey, which he founded.[2]
  4. 1333William de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, murdered 6 June on the way towards Carrickfergus.[1][3]
  5. 1543Ulick de Burgh receives the title Earl of Clanricard.[4]
  6. 1729Edmund Burke born at Arran Quay, Dublin.[5]
  7. 1890Burke is 29th of Ireland's principal surnames, about 15,900 people.[6]

Where in Ireland

Co. GalwaySeat of MacWilliam Uachtar (the Upper MacWilliam); first-listed Burke county in 1890.[1][7]
Co. MayoSeat of MacWilliam Iochtar (the Lower MacWilliam); a principal Burke county in 1890.[1][7]
Co. LimerickThe Burkes were also lords of the barony of Clanwilliam in Co. Limerick.[1]
Co. TipperaryFitzAdelm was buried in 1204 at Athassel Abbey, Co. Tipperary; a principal county in 1890.[2][7]
Co. CorkSecond of the counties where Matheson found Burke principally in 1890.[7]

Notable people named Burke

William FitzAdelm de Burghburied 1204Founder of the family in Ireland; governor of Ireland after Strongbow's death; buried at Athassel.[2]
William de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster1312–1333Murdered in 1333; relatives then took the name Mac William and ruled Connaught.[3]
Ulick de Burgh, 1st Earl of Clanricardd. 1544Fortified Galway, Loughrea and other towns; created Earl of Clanricard in 1543.[4]
Edmund Burke1729–1797Dublin-born statesman and writer; published Reflections on the French Revolution in 1790.[5]

Other spellings

Bourke · De Burgh · de Burgo[1]

The Burke coat of arms

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

Burke crest gifts

Clan Burke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapQW90 Classic Cap - Burke Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Burke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Bourke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapDP73 Classic Cap - Bourke Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Bourke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Bourke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap SA64 Bourke Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Bourke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45

Burke surname: questions

Is Burke an Irish surname?

It is Anglo-Norman in origin: Woulfe derives it from de Burgo, 'of the burgh'. But after 1333 the leading Burkes in Connacht adopted the Brehon law and proclaimed themselves Irish chiefs, and Woulfe says the Burkes of Connacht became so Irish that they were at one time regarded as 'mere Irish'. He adds that the name is now very common all over Ireland.[1]

What does Burke mean?

Woulfe explains de Búrc / de Búrca (de Burgo, De Burgh) as 'of the burgh' or 'borough'.[1]

Are Burke, Bourke and de Burgh the same name?

Yes. Woulfe lists de Burgo, De Burgh, Burke and Bourke as forms of de Búrc / de Búrca, and Webb says the name is 'variously spelled' De Burghs, De Burgos, Burkes or Bourkes.[1][2]

What surnames came from the Burkes?

Woulfe says minor branches of the Burkes took the surnames MacDavid, MacPhilpin, Mac Seoinin, MacGibbon and MacRedmond from their respective ancestors.[1]

Where in Ireland are the Burkes from?

Chiefly Connacht: the Upper MacWilliam in Co. Galway and the Lower MacWilliam in Co. Mayo, plus the barony of Clanwilliam in Co. Limerick. In 1890 Burke was principally found in Galway, Cork, Dublin, Mayo, Tipperary and Waterford.[1][7]

Sources

  1. De Búrc, De Búrca — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-burc-de-burca.php
  2. De Burgh, William FitzAdelm — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/WilliamFitzAdelmDeBurgh.php
  3. De Burgh, William, 3rd Earl of Ulster — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/WilliamDeBurgh3rdEarlofUlster.php
  4. De Burgh, Ulick, 1st Earl of Clanricard — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/UlickDeBurgh1stEarlofClanricard.php
  5. Burke, Edmund — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/EdmundBurke.php
  6. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  7. Burke — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/burke.php

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