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Irish surname

Cahill: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Cathail · 'descendant of Cathal' (battle-powerful)

Cahill is the anglicised form of Ó Cathail, 'descendant of Cathal'. Woulfe (1923) says there were several distinct families of the name and names five as the most important, in Galway, Tipperary, Clare and at Loch Lein; all were well represented at the end of the 16th century.

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Coat of arms associated with the Cahill surname
Irish formÓ Cathail
Meaning'descendant of Cathal' (battle-powerful)
CountiesGalway, Tipperary, Clare
Other spellings1

Origin of the Cahill name

Woulfe names five of several Ó Cathail families as the most important: of Cinel Aodha in south-west Galway (same stock as the O'Shaughnessys); of Crumthann in east Galway; of Corca Thine (Corkehenny, Templemore parish, Tipperary), who gave its name to Ballycahill; of Loch Lein, lords of the Eoghanacht before the O'Donoghues; and of Ui Flaithri near Corofin, Co. Clare.[1]

  1. c. 1600All five Ó Cathail families well represented at the end of the 16th century.[1]
  2. 1796Daniel William Cahill, preacher and science lecturer, born in Queen's County.[4]
  3. 1864Daniel William Cahill dies in Boston.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. GalwayTwo families: of Cinel Aodha in the south-west (same stock as the O'Shaughnessys) and of Crumthann in the east.[1]
Co. TipperaryÓ Cathail of Corca Thine, parish of Templemore, who gave their name to Ballycahill.[1][3]
Co. ClareÓ Cathail of Ui Flaithri, near Corofin.[1]

Notable people named Cahill

Daniel William Cahill, D.D.1796–1864Pulpit orator and lecturer on chemistry and astronomy; studied at Maynooth, taught at Carlow College, died in Boston.[4]

Other spellings

O Cahill[1]

The Cahill coat of arms

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

Cahill crest gifts

Clan Cahill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapHF98 Classic Cap - Cahill Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Cahill Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

Cahill surname: questions

What does the surname Cahill mean?

Woulfe gives Cahill as the anglicised form of Ó Cathail, 'descendant of Cathal', and glosses Cathal as 'battle-powerful'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Cahill name from?

Woulfe records several distinct families: two in Co. Galway, one at Corca Thine in Templemore parish, Co. Tipperary, one at Loch Lein, and one near Corofin, Co. Clare.[1]

Is Ballycahill named after the Cahills?

Woulfe says the Ó Cathail family of Corca Thine, in Templemore parish, Co. Tipperary, gave its name to Ballycahill, but he does not say which Ballycahill he means. The Placenames Database records a Ballycahill townland in Templemore parish whose Irish form is Baile Uí Chathail, while the Ballycahill civil parish in Co. Tipperary has a different Irish name, Bealach Achaille.[1][3][5]

Is Cahill the same as MacCahill?

Not necessarily. Woulfe treats Mac Cathail ('son of Cathal') as a separate surname, recording one family of that name as followers of O'Kelly of Uí Maine.[2]

Sources

  1. Ó Cathail — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cathail.php
  2. Mac Cathail — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cathail.php
  3. Baile Uí Chathail / Ballycahill (townland, civil parish of Templemore, Co. Tipperary), Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). logainm.ie/en/46981
  4. Daniel William Cahill — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/DanielWilliamCahill.php
  5. Search results for 'Ballycahill' (shows Bealach Achaille / Ballycahill civil parish, Co. Tipperary, id 2162), Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). logainm.ie/en/s?txt=Ballycahill