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Irish surname

Quirke: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Cuirce · 'descendant of Corc' (heart)

Woulfe (1923) gives Quirke and Quirk as anglicised forms of Ó Cuirce, 'descendant of Corc' (heart), the name of a family who were anciently chiefs of Muscraighe Breogain, also called Muscraighe Cuirc, in the present barony of Clanwilliam, Co. Tipperary. He says the name is still common in Tipperary, and also in Cork and Kerry. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 40 entries including spelling varieties (27 spelled Quirke), principally in Tipperary and Kerry.

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Coat of arms associated with the Quirke surname
Irish formÓ Cuirce
Meaning'descendant of Corc' (heart)
CountiesTipperary, Kerry, Cork
Other spellings4
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Quirke crest gifts

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Origin of the Quirke name

Woulfe: Ó Cuirce was the name of a family who were anciently chiefs of Muscraighe Breogain, also called Muscraighe Cuirc, in the present barony of Clanwilliam, Co. Tipperary; 'still common in Tipperary, and also in Cork and Kerry'.[1]

  1. 1043Four Masters: Ceinneidigh Ua Cuirc, lord of Muscraighe, was slain.[7]
  2. 1044Four Masters: Domhnall Ua Cuirc, lord of Muscraighe Breogain, was slain.[7]
  3. 1100Four Masters: Gillabhrighdhe Ua Cuirc, lord of Muscraighe-Breoghain, died.[8]
  4. 189040 birth entries incl. varieties (27 spelled Quirke); principally Tipperary and Kerry.[4][6]

Where in Ireland

Co. TipperaryWoulfe: anciently chiefs of Muscraighe Breogain, 'in the present barony of Clanwilliam'; first county named for 1890 births.[1][4]
Co. KerryWoulfe: name also common in Kerry; a principal Quirke county in 1890.[1][4]
Co. CorkWoulfe says the name is also common in Cork.[1]

Other spellings

Quirk · O Quirke · Querk · Kirk[1][5]

The Quirke coat of arms

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

Quirke surname: questions

What does the surname Quirke mean?

Woulfe gives Quirke as a form of Ó Cuirce, 'descendant of Corc', a personal name he glosses as 'heart'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Quirke name from?

Woulfe says the family were anciently chiefs of Muscraighe Breogain, in the present barony of Clanwilliam, Co. Tipperary, and that the name is still common in Tipperary, and also in Cork and Kerry. In 1890 Quirke births were found principally in Tipperary and Kerry.[1][4]

Is Quirk the same name as Quirke?

Woulfe lists Quirk and Quirke side by side among the anglicised forms of Ó Cuirce, and Matheson's list of spelling varieties gives Kirk and Querk under Quirk.[1][5]

Are MacQuirk and Quirke the same family?

Woulfe gives them under separate Irish names: Quirke under Ó Cuirce, and MacQuirk under Mac Cuirc ('son of Corc'). He gives Mag Cuirc (MacGuirk, MacGurk) as a variant of Mac Cuirc and calls it 'a well-known Ulster surname'.[2][3]

Sources

  1. Ó Cuirce — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cuirce.php
  2. Mac Cuirc — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cuirc.php
  3. Mag Cuirc — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mag/mag-cuirc.php
  4. Quirke — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/quirke.php
  5. Quirk — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1757.php
  6. 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
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1043–1044 (vol. B, part 15) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text015.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1100 (vol. B, part 20) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005B/text020.html

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