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Irish surname

Glynn: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mag Fhloinn; also Norman de Glin · Mag Fhloinn: 'son of Flann' (ruddy). de Glin: Norman 'de Glyn', 'of Glyn', a parish in Brecknockshire, or 'of the glyn, or glen'

Woulfe (1923) gives Glynn as an anglicised form of two different names: the Irish Mag Fhloinn, 'son of Flann' (ruddy), a rather common surname in Connacht and Ulster, and the Norman de Glin, which came into Ireland at an early period but has always been very rare. In 1890 Matheson counted 72 Glynn entries in the birth indexes (including spelling varieties), about 70 per cent of them in Galway, Mayo, Dublin and Clare.

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Coat of arms associated with the Glynn surname
Irish formMag Fhloinn; also Norman de Glin
MeaningMag Fhloinn: 'son of Flann' (ruddy). de Glin: Norman 'de Glyn', 'of Glyn', a parish in Brecknockshire, or 'of the glyn, or glen'
CountiesGalway, Mayo, Dublin, Clare
Other spellings4
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Origin of the Glynn name

Two different names. Mag Fhloinn (also Mac Fhloinn, Mac Floinn), 'son of Flann', is a rather common surname in Connacht and Ulster. De Glin is Norman, 'de Glyn', of Glyn, a parish in Brecknockshire, or 'of the glyn, or glen'; it came into Ireland at an early period but has always been very rare.[1][2][3][4]

  1. 189072 Glynn entries (incl. spelling varieties); about 70% in Galway, Mayo, Dublin, Clare.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. GalwayFirst county named in 1890, when about 70% of Glynn births were in four counties.[5]
Co. MayoOne of the four counties holding about 70% of Glynn births in 1890.[5]
Co. DublinOne of the four counties holding about 70% of Glynn births in 1890.[5]
Co. ClareOne of the four counties holding about 70% of Glynn births in 1890.[5]

Other spellings

MacGlynn · MacGlin · Glinn · Maglinne[1]

The Glynn coat of arms

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

Glynn surname: questions

What does the surname Glynn mean?

It depends on the family. As Mag Fhloinn it means 'son of Flann' (ruddy). As the Norman de Glin it means 'of Glyn', a parish in Brecknockshire, or 'of the glyn, or glen'.[1][4]

Is Glynn an Irish or a Norman name?

Woulfe gives both: the Irish Mag Fhloinn, 'a rather common surname in Connacht and Ulster', and the Norman de Glin, 'of Glyn, a parish in Brecknockshire, or of the glyn, or glen', which came into Ireland at an early period but has always been very rare.[1][4]

Where in Ireland is the Glynn name from?

Woulfe calls Mag Fhloinn a rather common surname in Connacht and Ulster. In 1890 about 70 per cent of Glynn births were in Galway, Mayo, Dublin and Clare, with 45 of 72 in Connaught.[1][5]

Are Glynn and McGlynn the same name?

Woulfe lists McGlyn, MacGlynn and Glynn together as anglicised forms of Mag Fhloinn. Matheson's 1890 table shows them separately (Glynn 72, McGlynn 39 entries, each total counting spelling varieties).[1][5][6]

Sources

  1. Mag Fhloinn — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mag/mag-fhloinn.php
  2. Mac Fhloinn — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macf/mac-fhloinn.php
  3. Mac Floinn — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macf/mac-floinn.php
  4. De Glin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-glin.php
  5. Glynn — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/glynn.php
  6. McGlynn — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcglynn.php

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