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Irish surname

Hanratty: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó hAnrachtaigh · 'descendant of Anrachtach' (unrighteous, unlawful)

Woulfe (1923) gives Hanratty as an English form of Ó hAnrachtaigh, 'descendant of Anrachtach', the name of an Oriel family who were chiefs of Ui Meith Macha, now the barony of Monaghan. He calls it still common in Monaghan, Armagh and Louth. In 1890 there were 30 Hanratty birth entries in Ireland: 12 in Louth, 9 in Armagh and 7 in Monaghan.

Coat of arms associated with the Hanratty surname
Irish formÓ hAnrachtaigh
Meaning'descendant of Anrachtach' (unrighteous, unlawful)
CountiesMonaghan, Louth, Armagh
Other spellings3

Origin of the Hanratty name

Woulfe: 'the name of an Oriel family who were chiefs of Ui Meith Macha, now the barony of Monaghan, in Co. Monaghan; still common in Monaghan, Armagh and Louth.' He notes the Irish name is also written Ó hIonrachtaigh and Ó hInreachtaigh.[1][2]

  1. 1019Four Masters: Aedh Ua h-Innreachtaigh, lord of Ui-Meith, slain by the Ui-Niallain.[5]
  2. 1076Four Masters: Gairbheith Ua hInnreachtaigh, lord of Ui-Meith, slain by the men of Meath.[6]
  3. 1107Four Masters: Aedh Ua hInnreachtaigh, lord of Ui-Meith, killed in battle.[7]
  4. 1131Four Masters: Donnsleibhe Ua hInnreachtaigh, lord of Ui-Meith, slain in Magh-Conaille.[8]
  5. 1161Four Masters: Imhar Ua hInnreachtaigh, who had been lord of Ui-Meith for a time, died.[9]
  6. 189030 Hanratty births: 12 Louth, 9 Armagh, 7 Monaghan, 2 Dublin.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. MonaghanChiefs of Ui Meith Macha, now the barony of Monaghan; 7 Hanratty births there in 1890.[1][3]
Co. LouthWoulfe: still common there; 12 of the 30 Hanratty births in 1890.[1][3]
Co. ArmaghWoulfe: still common there; 9 Hanratty births in 1890.[1][3]

Other spellings

O Hanratty · O Hanraghty · Ratty[1]

The Hanratty coat of arms

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

Hanratty crest gifts

Hanratty surname: questions

What does the surname Hanratty mean?

Woulfe gives Hanratty as an English form of Ó hAnrachtaigh, 'descendant of Anrachtach', which he glosses as 'unrighteous, unlawful'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Hanratty name from?

Woulfe calls it the name of an Oriel family who were chiefs of Ui Meith Macha, now the barony of Monaghan, and still common in Monaghan, Armagh and Louth. In 1890, 12 of the 30 Hanratty births were in Louth, 9 in Armagh and 7 in Monaghan.[1][3]

Is Hanratty an Irish name?

Woulfe derives it from the Irish Ó hAnrachtaigh, which he says is also written Ó hIonrachtaigh and Ó hInreachtaigh.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Ó hAnrachtaigh – Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-hanrachtaigh.php
  2. Ó hInreachtaigh – Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-hinreachtaigh.php
  3. Hanratty – Birth Indexes of 1890 – Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/hanratty.php
  4. Hanratty – Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/813.php
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1019 (part 12) – CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text012.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1076 (part 18) – CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text018.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1107 (part 21) – CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text021.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1131 (part 23) – CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text023.html
  9. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1161 (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).