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Irish surname

Fahy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Fathaigh (also written Ó Fathaidh) · 'descendant of Fathadh' (older fothadh, foundation)

Woulfe (1923) prints Fahy under Ó Fathaigh, 'descendant of Fathadh', the name of a family of Ui Maine in Co. Galway whose patrimony was known as Poblewinterfahy, in the barony of Loughrea. He also notes an old family of the name in Co. Tipperary. In 1890 Matheson counted 119 Fahy and Fahey birth entries in Ireland, 79 of them in Connaught.

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Coat of arms associated with the Fahy surname
Irish formÓ Fathaigh (also written Ó Fathaidh)
Meaning'descendant of Fathadh' (older fothadh, foundation)
CountiesGalway, Tipperary, Mayo
Other spellings6
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Origin of the Fahy name

Woulfe: a family of Ui Maine in Co. Galway, whose patrimony, known as Poblewinterfahy, lay in the barony of Loughrea; 'a considerable portion' remained with the family until the Cromwellian confiscations. 'There is also an old and respectable family of the name in Co. Tipperary.'[1]

  1. 1890119 Fahy and Fahey birth entries in Ireland (72 Fahy, 47 Fahey); 79 in Connaught.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. GalwayUi Maine family, Poblewinterfahy, barony of Loughrea; Galway alone 'more than 50 per cent' in 1890.[1][3]
Co. TipperaryWoulfe: 'an old and respectable family of the name'.[1][3]
Co. MayoThird of the counties in which principally found in 1890.[3]

Other spellings

Fahey · Fay · Foy · Faughy · Faghy · O Fahy[1][3]

The Fahy coat of arms

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

Fahy surname: questions

What does the surname Fahy mean?

Woulfe gives Fahy as an anglicised form of Ó Fathaigh, 'descendant of Fathadh' (older fothadh, foundation).[1]

Where in Ireland is the name Fahy from?

Woulfe says a family of Ui Maine in Co. Galway, whose patrimony lay in the barony of Loughrea, and also an old family in Co. Tipperary. Matheson gives Galway, Tipperary and Mayo as the counties in which it was principally found in 1890.[1][3]

Is Fahy the same name as Fahey, Fay or Foy?

Woulfe prints Fahey, Fay and Foy in the forms list of Ó Fathaigh, and calls Ó Faith, with forms Fay, Foy, Fahy and Fahey, 'a shortened form of Ó Fathaigh; common in Connacht'.[1][2]

Was Fahy ever translated as Green?

Woulfe lists 'by translation, Green' under Ó Fathaigh and says that, according to O'Donovan, the name was sometimes anglicised Green from its resemblance to the Irish word 'faithche', a green, or field.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Fathaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-fathaigh.php
  2. Ó Faith — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-faith.php
  3. Fahy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/fahy.php

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