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Irish surname

Falvey: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Fáilbhe · 'descendant of Fáilbhe' (lively)

Woulfe (1923) gives Falvey as an anglicised form of Ó Fáilbhe, 'descendant of Fáilbhe' (lively), the name of an ancient Kerry family who before the Anglo-Norman invasion were lords of Corca Dhuibhne, the present barony of Corcaguiny. He calls the name 'now rather rare'. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 17 Falvey entries, all except one in Cork, Clare and Kerry.

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Coat of arms associated with the Falvey surname
Irish formÓ Fáilbhe
Meaning'descendant of Fáilbhe' (lively)
CountiesKerry, Cork, Clare
Other spellings6

Origin of the Falvey name

Woulfe: 'the name of an ancient family in Kerry, who before the Anglo-Norman invasion were lords of Corca Dhuibhne, the present barony of Corcaguiny; now rather rare; in parts of North Kerry sometimes pronounced Ó Fáile, anglicised Fealy.'[1]

  1. 1103Four Masters: 'Ua Failbhe, Tanist of Corca-Dhuibhne' among the Munster slain at Magh-Cobha.[4]
  2. 1158Four Masters: Ua Failbhe, lord of Corca Duibhne, slain by the Ui-Seghdha.[5]
  3. 189017 Falvey birth entries in Ireland; all except 1 in Cork, Clare and Kerry.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. KerryAncient lords of Corca Dhuibhne (now barony of Corcaguiny); among the 1890 Falvey birth counties.[1][2]
Co. CorkAmong the three counties holding all but one of the 17 Falvey births in 1890.[2]
Co. ClareAmong the three counties holding all but one of the 17 Falvey births in 1890.[2]

Other spellings

O'Falvey · O Falvie · O Falvy · O Fallie · Fealy · Fealey[1]

The Falvey coat of arms

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

Falvey crest gifts

Clan Ofalvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap DO98 Ofalvey Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Ofalvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Ofalvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapMP68 Classic Cap - Ofalvey Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ofalvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Falvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapLH86 Classic Cap - Falvey Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Falvey Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

Falvey surname: questions

What does the surname Falvey mean?

Woulfe gives Falvey as a form of Ó Fáilbhe, 'descendant of Fáilbhe', a personal name he glosses as 'lively'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Falvey name from?

Woulfe says Ó Fáilbhe was an ancient Kerry family who, before the Anglo-Norman invasion, were lords of Corca Dhuibhne, the present barony of Corcaguiny. In 1890 all but one of the 17 Falvey births in Ireland were in Cork, Clare and Kerry.[1][2]

Is Fealy the same name as Falvey?

Woulfe lists Fealy and Fealey among the anglicised forms of Ó Fáilbhe, and says that in parts of North Kerry the name is sometimes pronounced Ó Fáile, anglicised Fealy. Matheson's 1901 list of registered spelling varieties also gives Fealy and Fealey under Feely, so not every Fealy need come from this family.[1][3]

Do the Irish annals mention the O'Falveys?

The Annals of the Four Masters record an Ua Failbhe, Tanist of Corca-Dhuibhne, among the Munster dead at the battle of Magh-Cobha in 1103, and an Ua Failbhe, lord of Corca Duibhne, slain by the Ui-Seghdha in 1158.[4][5]

Sources

  1. Ó Fáilbhe — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-failbhe.php
  2. Falvey — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/falvey.php
  3. Feely — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/591.php
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1103 (part 21) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text021.html
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1158 (part 26) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text026.html

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