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Irish surname

O'Rourke: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Ruairc · 'descendant of Ruarc' (older Ruadhrac, from Norse Hrothrekr)

O'Rourke is from Ó Ruairc, 'descendant of Ruarc', a name Woulfe traces through the older Ruadhrac to the Norse Hrothrekr. The O'Rourkes of Breifney were chiefs of the Ui Briuin Breifne, whose territory comprised the present counties of Leitrim and Cavan, and three of them were kings of Connacht in the 10th and 11th centuries. Rourke was 98th of Ireland's principal surnames in 1890.

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Rourke surname
Irish formÓ Ruairc
Meaning'descendant of Ruarc' (older Ruadhrac, from Norse Hrothrekr)
CountiesLeitrim, Cavan, Galway, Sligo
Other spellings8

Origin of the O'Rourke name

Woulfe: the O'Rourkes of Breifney 'were chiefs of the great clan of Ui Briuin Breifne', covering the present Leitrim and Cavan. After the 12th century their power declined: O'Reilly became lord of East Breifney (Cavan) and O'Rourke's lordship was confined to West Breifney (Leitrim), 'known as Breifney-O'Rourke'. A smaller Ui Maine branch lived in Co. Galway.[1]

  1. 10th–11th c.Three O'Rourkes of Breifney are kings of Connacht.[1]
  2. 1153Dermot MacMurrough carries off Dervorgilla, wife of O'Ruark, prince of Breffny.[3]
  3. 1172Tiernan O'Rourke, Lord of Breifny, slain at Tlachtgha.[4]
  4. 1591Brian-na-Murtha O'Rourke condemned in London and executed.[5]
  5. 1890Rourke is 98th of Ireland's principal surnames, about 8,300 people.[7]

Where in Ireland

Co. LeitrimWest Breifney, 'known as Breifney-O'Rourke'; Rourke was principally found there in 1890.[1][8]
Co. CavanPart of the Ui Briuin Breifne territory, later East Breifney under O'Reilly.[1]
Co. GalwayA branch of the Ui Maine bore the name, 'never very numerous'.[1]
Co. SligoAn Ó Ruadhraic family were anciently proprietors of Lia Con, barony of Tireragh.[2]
Co. DublinFirst of the counties where Rourke was principally found in 1890.[8]
Co. RoscommonOne of the counties where Rourke was principally found in 1890.[8]

Notable people named O'Rourke

Tiernan O'Rourked. 1172Lord of Breifny and Conmaicne, 'a man of great power for a long time'; slain at Tlachtgha by Hugo de Lacy's party.[4]
Brian-na-Murtha O'Rourked. 1591Called 'O'Rourke' by the Four Masters; fled to Scotland, was handed to the English, and executed in London in 1591.[5][6]

Other spellings

Rourke · O'Roarke · O'Rorke · Roarke · Rorke · O Rowarke · Roragh · Ó Ruadhraic[1]

The O'Rourke coat of arms

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

Clan Orourke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapMO56 Classic Cap - Orourke Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Orourke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Rourke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapTL31 Classic Cap - Rourke Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Rourke Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

O'Rourke surname: questions

What does the surname O'Rourke mean?

Woulfe gives Ó Ruairc, 'descendant of Ruarc', from an older Ruadhrac, which comes from the Norse name Hrothrekr.[1]

Where in Ireland is O'Rourke from?

Woulfe says Ó Ruairc was the name of several distinct families in different parts of Ireland. The O'Rourkes of Breifney were chiefs of the Ui Briuin Breifne in what is now Leitrim and Cavan; later their lordship was West Breifney (Co. Leitrim), 'known as Breifney-O'Rourke'.[1]

Were the O'Rourkes kings?

Woulfe says three of them were kings of Connacht in the 10th and 11th centuries, and as lords of Breifney they sometimes ruled from Kells in Meath to Drumcliff in Sligo.[1]

Are O'Rourke, Rourke and Rorke the same name?

Yes. Woulfe lists O'Rourke, O'Roarke, O'Rorke, Rourke, Roarke and Rorke as anglicised forms of Ó Ruairc.[1]

What happened to the O'Rourkes after the Middle Ages?

Woulfe says they took a leading part in the Elizabethan wars, retained considerable property until the Cromwellian confiscations, and that many attained high distinction in the armies of continental powers, especially Poland and Russia.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Ruairc — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/or/o-ruairc.php
  2. Ó Ruadhraic — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/or/o-ruadhraic.php
  3. MacMurrough, Dermot — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/DermotMacMurrough.php
  4. Annals of the Four Masters, M1172 (trans. O'Donovan) — CELT edition T100005C, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text001.html
  5. Annals of the Four Masters, M1591 (trans. O'Donovan) — CELT edition T100005F, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005F/text003.html
  6. Sir Henry Bagnal — An Illustrated History of Ireland (M. F. Cusack), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/HistoryIreland/Sir-Henry-Bagnal.php
  7. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  8. Rourke — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/rourke.php

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