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Irish surname

Lyons: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Laighin (Woulfe also prints Lyons under Ó Liatháin, Ó Laighnigh and de Líon) · Ó Laighin: 'descendant of Laighean' (lance, spear)

Woulfe (1923) prints Lyons in the forms lists of Ó Laighin, Ó Laighnigh and the Norman de Líon, and prints (O'Lyons, Lyons) in brackets under Ó Liatháin, a name he says is 'very often anglicised Lyons' in Co. Cork. No single origin applies to every bearer. In 1890 there were 210 Lyons birth entries in Ireland.

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Coat of arms associated with the Lyons surname
Irish formÓ Laighin (Woulfe also prints Lyons under Ó Liatháin, Ó Laighnigh and de Líon)
MeaningÓ Laighin: 'descendant of Laighean' (lance, spear)
CountiesMayo, Cork, Galway, Kildare
Other spellings2
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Lyons crest gifts

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Origin of the Lyons name

Woulfe lists Lyons under four entries. Ó Laighin: families in Co. Galway, Kildare and Kerry. Ó Liatháin: families in Cork and Sligo. Ó Laighnigh: 'a very rare surname'. de Líon: Norman, 'of Lyons', an Anglo-Norman family settled in Meath and other parts of the Pale. No single origin applies to every bearer.[1][2][3][4]

  1. End of 17th centuryWoulfe: the Galway Ó Laighin family kept considerable property in Kilconnell until then.[1]
  2. 1890210 Lyons birth entries in Ireland (Leinster 34, Munster 85, Ulster 20, Connaught 71).[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. MayoListed first of the counties in which Lyons was principally found in 1890.[5]
Co. CorkWoulfe: the Cork Ó Liatháin name is 'very often anglicised Lyons'.[2][5]
Co. GalwayWoulfe: an ancient Ó Laighin family held land in the barony of Kilconnell.[1][5]
Co. KildareWoulfe: a Kildare Ó Laighin family, formerly seated at Cill (now Kill), near Naas.[1]
Co. KerryWoulfe: an old Kerry Ó Laighin family.[1][5]
Co. DonegalWoulfe: the Ó Liatháin name 'still survives, anglicised Lyons' in Donegal.[2]

Other spellings

O'Lyons · Lyon[1]

The Lyons coat of arms

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

Lyons surname: questions

What does the surname Lyons mean?

It depends on the family. Woulfe gives Ó Laighin as 'descendant of Laighean' (lance, spear), and de Líon as Norman 'of Lyons', the French city or possibly a parish in Durham. Under Ó Liatháin he gives 'descendant of Liathán' (diminutive of liath, grey).[1][2][4]

Is Lyons an Irish or a Norman name?

Woulfe lists Lyons under Irish-language surnames (Ó Laighin, Ó Liatháin, Ó Laighnigh) and also under the Norman de Líon, an Anglo-Norman family who came to Ireland about the time of the invasion. No single origin applies to every bearer.[1][2][3][4]

Where in Ireland is the name Lyons found?

Matheson gives the counties in which Lyons was principally found in 1890 as Mayo, Cork, Galway, Dublin, Kerry and Limerick; of 34 entries in Leinster, 22 were in Dublin.[5]

Sources

  1. Ó Laighin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-laighin.php
  2. Ó Liatháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-liathain.php
  3. Ó Laighnigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ol/o-laighnigh.php
  4. de Líon — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-lion.php
  5. Lyons — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/lyons.php

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