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Irish surname

Foley: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Foghladha · 'descendant of Foghlaidh' (plunderer)

Woulfe (1923) gives Foley as an anglicised form of Ó Foghladha, 'descendant of Foghlaidh' (plunderer), and calls it originally a Waterford surname, now common throughout Munster and South Leinster. In 1890 Foley was 60th of Ireland's principal surnames, found mainly in Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Dublin.

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Coat of arms associated with the Foley surname
Irish formÓ Foghladha
Meaning'descendant of Foghlaidh' (plunderer)
CountiesWaterford, Kerry, Cork, Dublin
Other spellings2

Origin of the Foley name

Woulfe: 'originally a Waterford surname, but now common throughout Munster and South Leinster. Maelíosa Ó Foghladha was Archbishop of Cashel early in the 12th century.'[1]

  1. early 12th c.Maelíosa Ó Foghladha is Archbishop of Cashel.[1]
  2. 1818Sculptor John Henry Foley born in Dublin, 24 May.[2]
  3. 1874J. H. Foley dies in London and is buried in St Paul's Cathedral.[2]
  4. 1890Foley is 60th of Ireland's principal surnames, about 11,200 people.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. WaterfordWoulfe: originally a Waterford surname; still a principal county of the name in 1890.[1][5]
Co. KerryFirst of the counties where Foley was principally found in the 1890 Births Index.[5]
Co. CorkOne of the counties where Foley was principally found in 1890.[5]
Co. DublinOne of the counties where Foley was principally found in 1890.[5]

Notable people named Foley

John Henry Foley, R.A.1818–1874Dublin-born sculptor of Goldsmith and Burke (Trinity College Dublin) and Father Mathew (Cork); O'Connell monument design nearly complete at death.[2]
Daniel Foley, D.D.c. 1815–1874Irish scholar, Professor of Irish in Trinity College Dublin, compiler of an English-Irish Dictionary.[3]

Other spellings

O'Foley · O Folowe[1]

The Foley coat of arms

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

Foley crest gifts

Clan Foley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapDX78 Classic Cap - Foley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Foley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Foley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap UM60 Foley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Foley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45

Foley surname: questions

What does the surname Foley mean?

Woulfe gives Foley as an anglicised form of Ó Foghladha, 'descendant of Foghlaidh', foghlaidh meaning 'plunderer'.[1]

Where in Ireland is Foley from?

Woulfe calls it originally a Waterford surname, now common throughout Munster and South Leinster. In 1890 it was found principally in Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Dublin.[1][5]

How common is Foley in Ireland?

Matheson's survey of the 1890 Births Index ranked Foley 60th of the hundred principal surnames, with an estimated 11,200 people; 167 of the 250 birth entries for Foley and its spelling varieties were in Munster.[4][5]

Who is a famous historical Foley?

The sculptor John Henry Foley (1818–1874), born in Dublin, made the statues of Goldsmith and Burke in front of Trinity College Dublin; his design for a monument to O'Connell in Dublin was nearly completed when he died.[2]

Sources

  1. Ó Foghladha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-foghladha.php
  2. Foley, John Henry — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JohnHenryFoley.php
  3. Foley, Daniel — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/DanielFoley.php
  4. 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
  5. Foley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/foley.php

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