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Irish surname

Hayes: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó hAodha · 'descendant of Aodh' (fire)

Woulfe (1923) gives Hayes as an anglicised form of Ó hAodha, 'descendant of Aodh' (fire), a name borne by several distinct Irish families; it is 'generally anglicised Hughes in the North and Hayes in the South'. He also lists Hayes under de Hae, an Anglo-Norman family settled in Co. Wexford. In 1890 Hayes was Ireland's 52nd commonest surname, about 12,300 people.

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Coat of arms associated with the Hayes surname
Irish formÓ hAodha
Meaning'descendant of Aodh' (fire)
CountiesCork, Limerick, Tipperary, Wexford
Other spellings3

Origin of the Hayes name

Woulfe lists thirteen Ó hAodha families, among them lords of Muscraighe-Luachra (north-west Cork), sub-chiefs of Tuath O Donnghaile (south-west Cork), a Dalcassian family in Thomond, and chiefs of Ui Deaghaidh (nearly co-extensive with the barony of Gorey, Wexford). Separately, de Hae (Norman 'de la Haye') was an Anglo-Norman family settled in Co. Wexford.[1][2]

  1. About the time of the invasionThe de Hae (de la Haye) family settles in Co. Wexford.[2]
  2. c. 1820Singer Catherine Hayes born in Limerick.[3]
  3. 1861Catherine Hayes dies at Sydenham, near London, 11 August.[3]
  4. 1890275 Hayes births (incl. spelling variants), chiefly Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Dublin, Wexford.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. CorkTwo Ó hAodha families (Muscraighe-Luachra; Tuath O Donnghaile); first county named for Hayes births in 1890.[1][4]
Co. Limerick45 Hayes entries in the 1890 Births Index, among the county's leading names.[5][4]
Co. Tipperary38 Hayes entries in the 1890 Births Index.[5][4]
Co. WexfordÓ hAodha chiefs of Ui Deaghaidh (nearly co-extensive with the barony of Gorey), and the Anglo-Norman de Hae family.[1][2]
Co. AntrimIn 1890 the only Ulster county where Hayes was found 'to any appreciable extent'.[4]

Notable people named Hayes

Catherine Hayesc. 1820–1861Celebrated singer from Limerick, a soprano; sang at La Scala, Milan; toured Australia, California and the Atlantic States.[3]

Other spellings

O'Hea · Hay · Hays[1]

The Hayes coat of arms

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

Hayes crest gifts

Clan Hayes Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapPG76 Classic Cap - Hayes Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Hayes Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

Hayes surname: questions

What does the surname Hayes mean?

As an Irish name, Woulfe gives Hayes as an anglicised form of Ó hAodha, 'descendant of Aodh' (fire). As a Norman name (de Hae), it comes from 'de la Haye', English 'atte Haye', 'at the hay, or hedged field'.[1][2]

Is Hayes an Irish name?

Woulfe gives two origins for Hayes in Ireland: the Gaelic Ó hAodha, 'generally anglicised Hughes in the North and Hayes in the South', and de Hae, an Anglo-Norman family who settled in Co. Wexford about the time of the invasion.[1][2]

Are Hayes and Hughes the same name?

They can be. Woulfe gives both Hayes and Hughes as anglicised forms of Ó hAodha, which he says is 'generally anglicised Hughes in the North and Hayes in the South'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Hayes name from?

In 1890 it was found mainly in Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Dublin and Wexford. Woulfe places Ó hAodha families in many parts of Ireland, including two in Co. Cork and one in Wexford.[4][1]

Sources

  1. Ó hAodha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-haodha.php
  2. De Hae — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-hae.php
  3. Catherine Hayes — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/CatherineHayes.php
  4. Hayes — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/hayes.php
  5. Registration Province of Munster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/munster-names.php

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