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Irish surname

Hurley: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó hUrthuile · 'descendant of Urthuile'

Woulfe (1923) gives O'Hurley and Hurley as anglicised forms of Ó hUrthuile, 'descendant of Urthuile', a Dalcassian family of Thomond akin to the O'Moloneys and O'Kearneys, with an important branch at Knocklong in east Co. Limerick. He also prints (Hurley) in brackets under Ó Murthuile, 'a very common surname in Co. Cork where, however, it is now generally disguised under the anglicised form of Hurley'. In 1890, 86 of the 134 birth entries for Hurley including spelling varieties (129 spelled Hurley) were in Cork.

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Coat of arms associated with the Hurley surname
Irish formÓ hUrthuile
Meaning'descendant of Urthuile'
CountiesCork, Limerick, Waterford
Other spellings2
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Origin of the Hurley name

Woulfe: Ó hUrthuile was 'a Dalcassian family in Thomond, akin to those of O'Moloney and O'Kearney; now dispersed throughout Munster'. An important branch settled at Knocklong in east Co. Limerick, where the remains of their castle stand on the Hill of Knocklong. Woulfe prints (Hurley) in brackets under Ó Murthuile, a Cork surname 'now generally disguised' as Hurley.[1][2]

  1. 1519 (about)Dermot O'Hurley, later Archbishop of Cashel, born near Limerick.[8]
  2. 1581Dermot O'Hurley appointed to the see of Cashel by Gregory XIII.[8]
  3. 1584Archbishop O'Hurley hanged outside Dublin, 19 June.[8]
  4. 1690'O HURLY' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[7]
  5. 1890134 birth entries incl. spelling varieties (129 spelled Hurley); 86 in Cork.[5][6]

Where in Ireland

Co. CorkWoulfe prints (Hurley) under Ó Murthuile, 'a very common surname in Co. Cork'; 86 Hurley entries there in 1890.[2][5]
Co. LimerickÓ hUrthuile branch at Knocklong, east Co. Limerick; castle remains on the Hill of Knocklong.[1]
Co. Waterford10 Hurley birth entries in Waterford in 1890.[5]

Notable people named Hurley

Dermot O'Hurleyc. 1519–1584Archbishop of Cashel; tortured and hanged outside Dublin in 1584 after refusing to acknowledge the Queen's supremacy (Webb).[8]

Other spellings

O'Hurley · O Hurrilly[1]

The Hurley coat of arms

'O HURLY' is printed in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as reproduced by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named Hurley is entitled to a coat of arms.[7]

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

Hurley surname: questions

What does the surname Hurley mean?

Woulfe gives Hurley as a form of Ó hUrthuile, 'descendant of Urthuile'; he gives no meaning for Urthuile. He also prints (Hurley) in brackets under Ó Murthuile, 'descendant of Murthuile' (sea-tide), which he says is now generally disguised as Hurley in Co. Cork.[1][2]

Is Hurley an Irish name?

Woulfe lists O'Hurley and Hurley as anglicised forms of Ó hUrthuile, a Dalcassian family of Thomond. He also prints (Hurley) in brackets under Ó Murthuile, 'now generally disguised' as Hurley in Co. Cork, and under Ó hIarfhlatha (Herlihy), 'sometimes disguised' as Hurley; and he says Ó Comáin is sometimes 'translated' Hurley.[1][2][3][4]

Where in Ireland is the Hurley name from?

Woulfe places Ó hUrthuile in Thomond, with a branch at Knocklong, Co. Limerick, and Ó Murthuile in Co. Cork. In 1890 Hurley births were 86 in Cork, 10 in Waterford, 9 in Dublin and 6 in Galway.[1][2][5]

Is the surname Hurley linked to the hurley (hurling stick)?

Woulfe makes one such link: he says Ó Comáin is sometimes 'translated' Hurley, and compares it with 'camán', a hurly.[4]

Sources

  1. Ó hUrthuile — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-hurthuile.php
  2. Ó Murthuile — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-murthuile.php
  3. Ó hIarfhlatha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-hiarfhlatha.php
  4. Ó Comáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-comain.php
  5. Hurley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/hurley.php
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. Archbishop Dermot O'Hurley — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ArchbishopDermotOHurley.php

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