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Irish surname

O'Dea: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Deaghaidh · 'descendant of Deaghadh'

Woulfe (1923) gives O'Dea as one of the English forms of Ó Deaghaidh, 'descendant of Deaghadh': the name of a Dalcassian family who were chiefs of Ui Fearmaic, which comprised the greater part of the present barony of Inchiquin, Co. Clare, and of a Tipperary family, anciently chiefs of Sliabh Ardacha. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 35 entries for O'Dea including spelling varieties (34 spelled O'Dea), 17 in Clare and 6 in Limerick.

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Dea surname
Irish formÓ Deaghaidh
Meaning'descendant of Deaghadh'
CountiesClare, Tipperary, Limerick
Other spellings4
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Origin of the O'Dea name

Woulfe: (1) a Dalcassian family, still numerous in Thomond, chiefs of Ui Fearmaic, which comprised the greater part of the present barony of Inchiquin, Co. Clare, with strongholds at Tullyodea and Dyserttola; (2) a Tipperary family, anciently chiefs of Sliabh Ardacha, now anglicised Slewardagh, in the east of that county.[1]

  1. 1311Four Masters: Loughlin Reagh O'Dea slain by Mahon, son of Donnell Connaghtagh O'Brien.[7]
  2. 1400Cornelius O'Dea, Archdeacon of Killaloe, appointed Bishop of Limerick.[11][10]
  3. 1418Date in the inscription of the crozier Bishop Cornelius O'Dea had made.[12]
  4. 1588Four Masters: O'Dea (Mahon, son of Loughlin), Lord of Kinel-Fearmaic, died.[8]
  5. 1589Four Masters: Dermot Oge O'Dea died and was buried in his own town of Disert-Tola.[9]
  6. 1690'O DEA' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[6]
  7. 189035 entries incl. spelling varieties (34 O'Dea); 17 in Clare, 6 in Limerick.[3][4]

Where in Ireland

Co. ClareWoulfe: chiefs of Ui Fearmaic, the greater part of the present barony of Inchiquin; 17 of the 35 entries in 1890.[1][3]
Co. TipperaryWoulfe: anciently chiefs of Sliabh Ardacha, now anglicised Slewardagh, in the east of that county.[1]
Co. Limerick6 of the 35 O'Dea entries (including spelling varieties) in 1890.[3]

Notable people named O'Dea

Cornelius O'Dead. 1434Bishop of Limerick from 1400 until he resigned in 1426; the diocese says his mitre and crozier are on display in Limerick's Hunt Museum.[11][12][10]

Other spellings

Dea · Dee · Day · O Deay[1][2]

The O'Dea coat of arms

'O DEA' 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 O'Dea is entitled to a coat of arms.[6]

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the O'Dea 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.

O'Dea surname: questions

What does the surname O'Dea mean?

Woulfe gives O'Dea as one of the English forms of Ó Deaghaidh, 'descendant of Deaghadh'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the O'Dea name from?

Woulfe names a Dalcassian family, chiefs of Ui Fearmaic, which comprised the greater part of the present barony of Inchiquin, Co. Clare, with strongholds at Tullyodea and Dyserttola; and a Tipperary family, anciently chiefs of Sliabh Ardacha, now anglicised Slewardagh. In 1890, 17 of the 35 O'Dea birth entries (including spelling varieties) were in Clare and 6 in Limerick.[1][3]

Are Dea and Dee the same name as O'Dea?

Woulfe lists Dea, Dee and Day among the English forms of Ó Deaghaidh. He also gives Godwin and Goodwin, explaining that Godwin was suggested by the likeness of the first syllable of the variant Ó Diaghaidh to Dia, God.[1][2]

What is the O'Dea crozier?

A crozier seven and a half feet in height, made of silver for the most part. Its inscription says Cornelius O'Dea, Bishop of Limerick, had it made in 1418. The Diocese of Limerick Heritage Project says the crozier and his mitre are on display in Limerick's Hunt Museum.[12]

Sources

  1. Ó Deaghaidh – Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-deaghaidh.php
  2. Ó Diaghaidh – Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-diaghaidh.php
  3. O'Dea – Birth Indexes of 1890 – Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/odea.php
  4. 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
  5. O'Dea – Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1648.php
  6. 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
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1311 (part 14) – CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text014.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1588 (part 9) – CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text009.html
  9. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1589 (part 1) – CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005F/text001.html
  10. Limerick – Catholic Encyclopedia (1910), New Advent. newadvent.org/cathen/09262a.htm
  11. Bishop Cornelius O'Dea – Limerick Diocese Heritage Project, Diocese of Limerick. limerickdioceseheritage.org/Diocese/ODea/introODea.htm
  12. O'Dea Crozier – Limerick Diocese Heritage Project, Diocese of Limerick. limerickdioceseheritage.org/Diocese/ODeaCrozier/introODeaCrozier.htm

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