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Irish surname

O'Driscoll: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó hEidirsceóil (now Ó Drisceóil) · 'descendant of Eidirsceól' (interpreter)

Woulfe (1923) gives O'Driscoll and Driscoll as anglicised forms of Ó hEidirsceóil, 'descendant of Eidirsceól' (interpreter), now shortened to Ó Drisceóil. It was the name of an ancient West Cork family, chiefs of Corca Laoighdhe, whose territory was later narrowed to a strip of coast around the bay of Baltimore. After the defeat of Kinsale their property was confiscated.

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Driscoll surname
Irish formÓ hEidirsceóil (now Ó Drisceóil)
Meaning'descendant of Eidirsceól' (interpreter)
CountiesCork
Other spellings3

Origin of the O'Driscoll name

An ancient West Cork family, chiefs of Corca Laoighdhe, which first took in the baronies of Carbery, Beare and Bantry but, shortly after the Anglo-Norman invasion, was narrowed by the O'Donovans, O'Mahonys and O'Sullivans to a strip of sea-coast around the bay of Baltimore (Woulfe).[1]

  1. 1414O'Driscoll More 'treacherously slain by the crew of a merchant's ship'.[7]
  2. 1418Maccon O'Driscoll, Lord of Corca-Laighe, and his brother the Bishop O'Driscoll died.[7]
  3. 1460Franciscan friary founded at Inis-Arcain, 'in O'Driscoll's country'.[9]
  4. 1508O'Driscoll More (Conor, son of Fineen) died; his son Fineen succeeded.[10]
  5. 1585Four Masters: O'Driscoll More (Fineen, son of Conor) among those who went to the Parliament.[11]
  6. After KinsaleO'Driscoll property confiscated and given to Lord Castlehaven (Woulfe).[1]
  7. 1690'O DRISCOL' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[6]
  8. 1890121 Driscoll birth entries incl. varieties (120 spelled Driscoll); 13 O'Driscoll.[3][4][5]

Where in Ireland

Co. CorkCorca Laoighdhe, around the bay of Baltimore (Woulfe); 1890: 100 in Cork of 121 Driscoll entries incl. spelling varieties.[1][3]

Notable people named O'Driscoll

Mac Con O'Driscoll (O'Driscoll More)d. 1442'Lord of Corca-Laoighe', whose death the Four Masters record in 1442.[8]
Conor O'Driscoll (O'Driscoll More)d. 1508'A brave and protecting man, the friend of the religious orders and the learned' (Four Masters).[10]

Other spellings

Driscoll · O Hederscoll · O Driscole[1][2][3]

The O'Driscoll coat of arms

'O DRISCOL' 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'Driscoll is entitled to a coat of arms.[6]

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the O'Driscoll 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'Driscoll crest gifts

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O'Driscoll surname: questions

What does the surname O'Driscoll mean?

Woulfe gives O'Driscoll as a form of Ó hEidirsceóil, 'descendant of Eidirsceól', a personal name meaning 'interpreter'. He says it is now shortened to Ó Drisceóil.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is O'Driscoll from?

West Cork. Woulfe says the O'Driscolls were chiefs of Corca Laoighdhe, later narrowed to a strip of coast around the bay of Baltimore. In 1890, 100 of the 121 birth entries for Driscoll including spelling varieties (120 spelled Driscoll) were in Cork.[1][3]

Is Driscoll the same name as O'Driscoll?

Yes. Woulfe lists both O'Driscoll and Driscoll as anglicised forms of Ó hEidirsceóil. Matheson's 1890 births index counts the two spellings separately.[1][3][4]

What happened to the O'Driscoll lands?

Woulfe says the O'Driscolls still had several strong castles at the beginning of the 17th century and took part in the Elizabethan wars in Munster; after the defeat of Kinsale their property was confiscated and given to Lord Castlehaven.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó hEidirsceóil — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-heidirsceoil.php
  2. Ó Drisceóil — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-drisceoil.php
  3. Driscoll — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/driscoll.php
  4. O'Driscoll — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/odriscoll.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
  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), 1414 and 1418 (part 5) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text005.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1442 (part 7) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text007.html
  9. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1460 (part 9) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text009.html
  10. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1508 (part 1) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text001.html
  11. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1585 (part 9) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text009.html

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