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Irish surname

Gorman: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Gormáin; Ó Gormáin; also used for Ó Gormghail and Ó Gormóg · Mac Gormáin, 'son of Gormán'; Ó Gormáin, 'descendant of Gormán' (Gormán is a diminutive of gorm, blue)

Woulfe (1923) gives Gorman and O'Gorman as forms of Mac Gormáin, 'son of Gormán', a Leinster family who were lords of Ui Bairche in Slievemargy and later settled in Monaghan and in Ibrickan, West Clare; they are also forms of the rare Ó Gormáin. He says O'Gorman was adopted in modern times, 'but incorrectly', by some of the name in Munster. In 1890, 140 Gorman births were registered in Ireland.

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Coat of arms associated with the Gorman surname
Irish formMac Gormáin; Ó Gormáin; also used for Ó Gormghail and Ó Gormóg
MeaningMac Gormáin, 'son of Gormán'; Ó Gormáin, 'descendant of Gormán' (Gormán is a diminutive of gorm, blue)
CountiesLaois, Clare, Monaghan, Antrim
Other spellings4

Origin of the Gorman name

Mac Gormáin were lords of Ui Bairche, barony of Slievemargy, south-east Leix. Soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion they were driven out and settled in Monaghan and in Ibrickan, West Clare; the head of the Clare branch was marshal of O'Brien's forces. Ó Gormáin was a separate, rare name; in Connacht Gorman can also stand for Ó Gormghail.[1][2][3]

  1. Soon after the Anglo-Norman invasionMac Gormáin driven from Ui Bairche; settled in Monaghan and West Clare.[1]
  2. 1171Marian O'Gorman, Abbot of Knock near Louth, composed a calendar.[9]
  3. Before the end of the 16th centuryThe name had spread into Galway, Tipperary and Limerick.[1]
  4. 1690'O GORMAN' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[8]
  5. 1890140 Gorman births registered, chiefly Antrim, Dublin, Tipperary; 24 O'Gorman, chiefly Clare.[5][6][7]

Where in Ireland

Co. LaoisMac Gormáin were lords of Ui Bairche, barony of Slievemargy, in the south-east of Leix.[1][10]
Co. ClareBranch settled in Ibrickan, West Clare; O'Gorman births in 1890 were chiefly in Clare.[1][6]
Co. MonaghanSome of the Mac Gormáin family settled in Monaghan after the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]
Co. AntrimFirst county named for Gorman births in 1890.[5]
Co. DublinAmong the counties where Gorman was principally found in 1890.[5]
Co. TipperaryPrincipal Gorman county in 1890; the name had spread there before the end of the 16th century.[5][1]
Co. MayoÓ Gormghail / Ó Gormóg were lords of Carra; O'Donovan found the name there anglicised Gorman.[3][4]

Notable people named Gorman

Marian O'Gorman (Maelmuire)composed his calendar in 1171Abbot of Knock, near Louth; Colgan says his calendar, the Calendar of Marianus, is in elegant Irish verse.[9]

Other spellings

O'Gorman · MacGorman · M'Gormane · O Gormane[1][2][6]

The Gorman coat of arms

The name appears as 'O GORMAN' in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as printed by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named Gorman or O'Gorman is entitled to a coat of arms.[8]

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

Gorman crest gifts

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Gorman surname: questions

What does the surname Gorman mean?

Woulfe derives it mainly from Mac Gormáin, 'son of Gormán', Gormán being a diminutive of gorm, blue. Ó Gormáin, 'descendant of Gormán', is a separate rarer name.[1][2]

Is it Gorman, O'Gorman or MacGorman?

Woulfe calls MacGorman 'the more correct form', still kept in the North, and says O'Gorman was adopted in modern times, 'but incorrectly', by some of the name in Munster.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Gorman name from?

Mac Gormáin were lords of Ui Bairche in Slievemargy (Leix) before moving to Monaghan and West Clare. In 1890 Gorman births were chiefly in Antrim, Dublin and Tipperary, and O'Gorman births in Clare.[1][5][6]

Is Gorman always from the same family?

No. Woulfe says Gorman can also disguise Ó Gormghail, a Mayo and Roscommon name, and Ó Gormóg of Carra, Mayo, besides the rare Ó Gormáin.[2][3][4]

Sources

  1. Mac Gormáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-gormain.php
  2. Ó Gormáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gormain.php
  3. Ó Gormghail — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gormghail.php
  4. Ó Gormóg — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gormog.php
  5. Gorman — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/gorman.php
  6. O'Gorman — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/ogorman.php
  7. Table Explanation (Birth Indexes of 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  8. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  9. Marian O'Gorman — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/MarianOGorman.php
  10. Laois (county), with historical name Leix, Placenames Database of Ireland, logainm.ie (Dublin City University / Government of Ireland). logainm.ie/en/100017

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