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Irish surname

Lynam: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Laidhgheanáin, Ó Laidheanáin, Ó Laidhghneáin · 'descendant of Laidhghneán' (snow-birth)

Woulfe (1923) gives Lynam as an anglicised form of Ó Laidhgheanáin, 'descendant of Laidhghneán' (snow-birth), the name of an ecclesiastical family in Leinster who were erenaghs of Ferns and of St. Mullins, Co. Carlow. He says the name is still common in Leinster and is now generally anglicised Lynam. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 22 Lynam entries; Matheson names the counties where they were principally found as 'Dublin and King's'.

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Coat of arms associated with the Lynam surname
Irish formÓ Laidhgheanáin, Ó Laidheanáin, Ó Laidhghneáin
Meaning'descendant of Laidhghneán' (snow-birth)
CountiesCarlow, Dublin, King's
Other spellings6
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Lynam crest gifts

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Origin of the Lynam name

Woulfe: an ecclesiastical family in Leinster, 'who were erenaghs of Ferns and of St. Mullins, Co. Carlow. Many distinguished ecclesiastics of the name in various parts of Ireland, but probably of this family, are mentioned in the Annals.'[1]

  1. 189022 Lynam birth entries in Ireland; principally 'Dublin and King's'.[3][5]

Where in Ireland

Co. CarlowWoulfe names St. Mullins, Co. Carlow, as one of the churches where the family were erenaghs.[1]
Co. DublinFirst county named for Lynam births in 1890 (Leinster had 19 of 22).[3]
Co. King'sNamed with Dublin as where Lynam births were principally found in 1890.[3]

Other spellings

Lynan · Lynham · Lyneham · Lineham · O Leynam · O Lynan[1]

The Lynam coat of arms

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

Lynam surname: questions

What does the surname Lynam mean?

Woulfe gives Lynam as a form of Ó Laidhgheanáin, 'descendant of Laidhghneán', a personal name he glosses as 'snow-birth'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Lynam name from?

Woulfe says it was the name of an ecclesiastical family in Leinster, erenaghs of Ferns and of St. Mullins, Co. Carlow, and that it is still common in Leinster. In 1890, 19 of the 22 Lynam births were in Leinster; Matheson gives the principal counties as 'Dublin and King's'.[1][3]

Is every Lynam from Ó Laidhgheanáin?

Not necessarily. Woulfe says the Irish epithet Laighneach ('the Leinsterman'), anglicised Leynagh, Lynagh and Linagh, is 'generally, but incorrectly, Lynam in Offaly'.[2]

Is Lynam an Irish name?

Woulfe lists Lynam, Lynan, Lynham, Lyneham and Lineham as anglicised forms of the Irish surname Ó Laidhgheanáin.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Laidheanáin, Ó Laidhgheanáin, Ó Laidhghneáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-laidheanain.php
  2. Laighneach — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/l/laighneach.php
  3. Lynam — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/lynam.php
  4. Lynam — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1137.php
  5. 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

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