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Irish surname

O'Grady: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Gráda · 'descendant of Gráda' (noble, illustrious)

Woulfe (1923) gives O'Grady and Grady as anglicised forms of Ó Gráda, 'descendant of Gráda' (noble, illustrious), a distinguished Dalcassian family originally seated in the parish of Killonasoolagh, in the south of Co. Clare, and after 1318 near Tomgraney. In 1543 Donogh O'Grady, 'Captain of his nation', was knighted by Henry VIII. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 68 entries for Grady and, counted separately, 47 for O'Grady including spelling varieties (46 spelled O'Grady).

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Grady surname
Irish formÓ Gráda
Meaning'descendant of Gráda' (noble, illustrious)
CountiesClare, Limerick, Galway, Mayo
Other spellings1
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O'Grady crest gifts

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Origin of the O'Grady name

Woulfe: a distinguished Dalcassian family, originally seated in the parish of Killonasoolagh, near the river Fergus, in the south of Co. Clare. After 1318 they removed to the neighbourhood of Tomgraney, where they obtained from the O'Briens an extensive tract embracing several parishes in the counties of Clare and Galway.[1]

  1. 1184Kenfaela O'Grady, successor of Cronan of Tomgraney, died.[11]
  2. 1311Donnell O'Grady, Lord of Kinel-Dungaile, slain in battle in Thomond.[12]
  3. 1318After this year the family removed to the neighbourhood of Tomgraney.[1]
  4. 1371John O'Grady, Archbishop of Tuam, died.[13]
  5. 1543Donogh O'Grady, 'Captain of his nation', knighted by Henry VIII.[1]
  6. 1690'O GRADY' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[9]
  7. 1831Standish O'Grady created Viscount Guillamore on retiring as lord chief baron.[14]
  8. 1890Grady 68 entries; O'Grady 47 including spelling varieties (46 spelled O'Grady).[5][6][10]

Where in Ireland

Co. ClareSeated at Killonasoolagh, then near Tomgraney; first county named for 1890 O'Grady births.[1][6]
Co. LimerickJohn O'Grady, alias Brady, settled there, ancestor of the O'Gradys of Kilballyowen; a principal 1890 county.[1][6]
Co. GalwayThe Tomgraney lands from the O'Briens embraced several parishes in Clare and Galway.[1]
Co. MayoFirst county named for 1890 Grady births (spelled without the O').[5]
Co. RoscommonNamed among the principal 1890 counties for both Grady and O'Grady births.[5][6]

Notable people named O'Grady

Sir Donogh O'Gradyknighted 1543'Captain of his nation'; knighted by Henry VIII and granted the lands of his clan by letters patent.[1]
Hugh BradySon of Sir Donogh O'Grady; Woulfe calls him the first Protestant bishop of Meath.[1]
Standish O'Grady, 1st Viscount Guillamore1766–1840Attorney-general in 1803, prosecuting at Robert Emmet's trial; lord chief baron from 1805.[14]
Standish O'Grady, 2nd Viscount Guillamore1792–1848Lieutenant in the 7th hussars at Waterloo; on 17 June 1815 held advancing French cavalry in check near Genappe.[14]

Other spellings

Grady[1][7][8]

The O'Grady coat of arms

The name appears as 'O GRADY' in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as printed by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named O'Grady or Grady is entitled to a coat of arms.[9]

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the O'Grady 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'Grady surname: questions

What does the surname O'Grady mean?

Woulfe gives O'Grady as a form of Ó Gráda, 'descendant of Gráda', and glosses Gráda as 'noble, illustrious'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the O'Grady name from?

Woulfe says the family was first seated in the parish of Killonasoolagh, near the river Fergus, in the south of Co. Clare, and after 1318 near Tomgraney, with lands in Clare and Galway. He says the name 'is now common in Munster and Connacht'. In 1890 O'Grady births were principally in Clare, Limerick, Dublin and Roscommon.[1][6]

Are Grady and O'Grady the same name?

Not always. Woulfe lists Grady under Ó Gráda, but also gives Grady for Ó Griada, 'a corruption in Connacht' of Mag Riada, which is in use in Galway and Mayo and 'sometimes incorrectly anglicised Grady'. He also prints (O'Grady, Grady) in brackets under Ó Greada, 'an old Munster surname', and says Ó Gráda is 'to be distinguished from' it.[1][2][3][4]

Why did some O'Gradys become Brady?

After telling how Sir Donogh O'Grady was knighted in 1543, Woulfe writes that 'the surname about this time, in some unaccountable way, got anglicised O'Brady and Brady'. His son Hugh Brady was the first Protestant bishop of Meath, and another son, John O'Grady, alias Brady, was the ancestor of the O'Gradys of Kilballyowen, Co. Limerick. Woulfe gives the Brady surname itself a separate origin: Mac Brádaigh, 'the name of a great Cavan family'.[1][15]

Who was Viscount Guillamore?

The Dictionary of National Biography says Standish O'Grady (1766–1840), son of Darby O'Grady of Mount Prospect, Limerick, was attorney-general from 1803 and lord chief baron from 1805, and on retiring in 1831 was created Viscount Guillamore of Cahir Guillamore and Baron O'Grady of Rockbarton, co. Limerick.[14]

Sources

  1. Ó Gráda — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-grada.php
  2. Ó Griada — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-griada.php
  3. Mag Riada — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mag/mag-riada.php
  4. Ó Greada — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-greada.php
  5. Grady — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/grady.php
  6. O'Grady — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/ogrady.php
  7. Grady — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/746.php
  8. O'Grady — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1663.php
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1184 (part 2) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text002.html
  12. 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
  13. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1371 (part 20) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text020.html
  14. O'Grady, Standish — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 (David James O'Donoghue), Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...
  15. Mac Brádaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macb/mac-bradaigh.php

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