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Irish surname

Lynch: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Loingsigh · 'descendant of Loingseach' (from loingeas, a fleet); a separate Norman name, de Línse, means 'at the linch, or hill'

Lynch has two separate origins. Woulfe (1923) gives the Gaelic Ó Loingsigh, 'descendant of Loingseach', as the name of several distinct families across Ireland, and the Norman de Línse ('de Lench'), whose Galway branch became one of the leading 'tribes' of Galway. Woulfe calls Lynch one of the commonest Irish surnames.

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Coat of arms associated with the Lynch surname
Irish formÓ Loingsigh
Meaning'descendant of Loingseach' (from loingeas, a fleet); a separate Norman name, de Línse, means 'at the linch, or hill'
CountiesCork, Cavan, Clare, Limerick
Other spellings7

Origin of the Lynch name

Gaelic Ó Loingsigh: Woulfe lists seven families, of Dalradia (Antrim and Down; chiefs in the 11th century), Owney (Tipperary), Breifney, Thomond, Cork, Sligo and Meath; the Breifney family is still numerous in Cavan, the Thomond family in Clare and Limerick. Norman de Línse: settled at Knock, Co. Meath, soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion; a branch moved to Galway about the beginning of the 14th century.[1][2]

  1. 1615Royal visitors order Galway schoolmaster Alexander Lynch to stop teaching.[5]
  2. 1652After Galway surrenders, John Lynch flees to France.[5]
  3. 1662John Lynch's 'Cambrensis Eversus' published under the name 'Gratianus Lucius'.[5]
  4. 1776Thomas Lynch Jr. elected to the Second Continental Congress in March.[6]
  5. 1890444 Lynch birth entries in Ireland, 184 of them in Munster.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. CorkÓ Loingsigh of Cork, a branch of the Corca Laoighe; first-named county for Lynch births in 1890.[1][4]
Co. CavanÓ Loingsigh of Breifney, chiefs of Cinel Bacaid, 'still numerous in Co. Cavan'.[1][4]
Co. ClareÓ Loingsigh of Thomond, a Dalcassian family, still numerous in Clare and Limerick.[1][4]
Co. LimerickÓ Loingsigh of Thomond, a Dalcassian family, still numerous in Clare and Limerick.[1][4]
Co. GalwayThe Norman Lynches became one of the leading 'tribes' of Galway.[2][5]
Co. MeathNorman de Lench settled at Knock; Woulfe also lists an Ó Loingsigh family of Meath.[2][1][4]
Co. AntrimÓ Loingsigh were 11th-century chiefs of Dalradia; still numerous in Antrim and Down.[1]
Co. DownÓ Loingsigh were 11th-century chiefs of Dalradia; still numerous in Antrim and Down.[1]
Co. TipperaryÓ Loingsigh were chiefs of Uaithne-thire (barony of Owney) before the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]

Notable people named Lynch

John Lynchc. 1600 – probably between 1667 and 1673Galway-born priest and Archdeacon of Tuam; wrote 'Cambrensis Eversus' (1662), a defence of Ireland against Giraldus Cambrensis.[5]
Thomas Lynch Jr.b. 1749South Carolina planter; fifty-second signer of the Declaration of Independence; lost at sea after sailing in December 1779.[6]

Other spellings

Lynchy · Linchey · Linchy · Lindsy · Lenche · Lynskey · Linskey[1]

The Lynch coat of arms

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

Lynch crest gifts

Clan Lynch Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap VA48 Lynch Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Lynch Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Lynch Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapBF40 Classic Cap - Lynch Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Lynch Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

Lynch surname: questions

Is Lynch an Irish or a Norman name?

Both. Woulfe gives the Gaelic Ó Loingsigh, borne by several distinct Irish families, and the Norman de Línse ('de Lench'), whose Galway branch became one of the leading 'tribes' of Galway. He says the two are to be distinguished.[1][2]

What does the surname Lynch mean?

For Ó Loingsigh, Woulfe gives 'descendant of Loingseach', from loingeas, a fleet. For the Norman de Lench he gives 'at the linch, or hill', from residence.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Lynch name from?

Woulfe lists Ó Loingsigh families in Antrim and Down, Tipperary, Cavan, Clare and Limerick, Cork, Sligo and Meath, and the Norman Lynches at Knock (Meath) and Galway. In 1890 Lynch was found in nearly every county, chiefly Cork, Cavan, Dublin, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Meath and Londonderry.[1][2][4]

Are Lynch and Lynskey related?

Woulfe says that in Co. Galway Ó Loingsigh was sometimes metathesised to Ó Loinscigh, anglicised Linskey and Lynskey.[1][3]

Sources

  1. Ó Loingsigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-loingsigh.php
  2. De Línse — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-linse.php
  3. Ó Loinscigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-loinscigh.php
  4. Lynch – Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909; 1890 birth indexes), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/lynch.php
  5. John Lynch — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JohnLynch.php
  6. Lynch, Thomas, Jr. — South Carolina Encyclopedia, University of South Carolina. scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/lynch-thomas-jr/

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