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Irish surname

Taaffe: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Táth · 'son of David'; Woulfe compares it with modern Irish Dáth and Welsh Taffy

Woulfe (1923) gives Taaffe as a form of Táth, 'son of David', 'the name of a distinguished family of Welsh origin who settled at an early period in Co. Louth'. He records that 'towards the end of the 13th century, flourished Sir Nicholas Taaffe, Justice of the Common Pleas, whose son, John Taaffe, became Archbishop of Armagh', and that Sir William Taaffe, who served against Hugh O'Neill and the Spaniards at Kinsale, was 'rewarded by James I with large grants of confiscated lands in Co. Sligo'. In 1628 his son John was created Baron of Ballymote and Viscount Corren, and in 1661 John's son Theobald was made Earl of Carlingford. In 1890, Matheson's birth indexes held 15 Taaffe entries including spelling varieties (11 spelled Taaffe) in Ireland.

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Coat of arms associated with the Taaffe surname
Irish formTáth
Meaning'son of David'; Woulfe compares it with modern Irish Dáth and Welsh Taffy
CountiesLouth, Sligo
Other spellings5

Origin of the Taaffe name

Woulfe: Táth is 'the name of a distinguished family of Welsh origin who settled at an early period in Co. Louth'; compare with modern Irish Dáth and Welsh Taffy.[1]

  1. towards the end of the 13th centurySir Nicholas Taaffe, Justice of the Common Pleas; his son John Taaffe becomes Archbishop of Armagh.[1]
  2. 1601Sir William Taaffe knighted for his services at the siege of Kinsale.[3]
  3. 1602Sir William Taaffe defeats a force under 'the Apostolick Vicar, Owen MacEgan' in Carbery, killing 140.[3]
  4. 1628John Taaffe, son of Sir William, created Baron of Ballymote and Viscount Corren.[1]
  5. 1630Sir William Taaffe dies, 9 February; buried at Ardee.[3]
  6. 1647Sir Theobald Taaffe, commanding 9,000 Irish in Munster, is defeated by Lord Inchiquin at Knocknanuss, 13 November.[4]
  7. 1661Theobald Taaffe created Earl of Carlingford.[1]
  8. at the BoyneWoulfe: Nicholas, second Earl of Carlingford, falls at the Boyne; honours devolve on his brother Francis.[1]
  9. 1798Rev. Denis Taaffe takes part in the Insurrection, heading insurgents at Ballyellis, Co. Wexford.[6]
  10. 189015 Taaffe birth entries incl. varieties (11 spelled Taaffe) recorded in Ireland.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. LouthWoulfe: the Welsh Táth family settled at an early period in Co. Louth.[1]
Co. SligoSir William Taaffe was rewarded by James I with grants of confiscated lands in Co. Sligo; his son was created Baron of Ballymote.[1]

Notable people named Taaffe

Sir William Taaffed. 1630Knighted for services at the siege of Kinsale, 1601; rewarded by James I with grants of confiscated lands in Co. Sligo; died 9 Feb. 1630, buried at Ardee.[1][3]
Sir Theobald Taaffe, 1st Earl of Carlingfordcreated Earl 1661Grandson of Sir William; fought for Charles I against the Parliament; commanded 9,000 Irish in Munster; defeated by Lord Inchiquin at Knocknanuss, 13 Nov. 1647.[1][4]
Nicholas Taaffe, Viscount1677–1769Cousin of Sir Theobald (Webb); Field-Marshal in the Imperial service and Chamberlain to Emperor Charles VI and his successor; fought 'with distinguished bravery' against the Turks in 1738; published Observations on Affairs in Ireland from the Settlement in 1691 to the Present Time in 1766; died at Elishau, Bohemia, 30 December 1769.[5]
Rev. Denis Taaffed. 1813Catholic clergyman and historian, educated at Prague; headed the insurgents at Ballyellis, Co. Wexford, in the 1798 Insurrection; suspended from his functions, he became a Protestant; published four volumes of An Impartial History of Ireland, 1809-1811; reconciled to his Church before his death.[6]

Other spellings

Ta · Tath · Taath · Taaf · Taff[1]

The Taaffe coat of arms

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

Taaffe crest gifts

Clan Taaffe Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap RN39 Taaffe Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Taaffe Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Taaffe Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapQT29 Classic Cap - Taaffe Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Taaffe Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

Taaffe surname: questions

What does the surname Taaffe mean?

Woulfe gives Taaffe as a form of Táth, 'son of David', and compares it with the modern Irish Dáth and the Welsh Taffy.[1]

Is Taaffe an Irish surname?

Woulfe calls it 'the name of a distinguished family of Welsh origin who settled at an early period in Co. Louth' — a Welsh settler family established in Ireland, rather than a Gaelic Irish name.[1]

Where does the Taaffe family come from?

Woulfe places the family's early settlement in Co. Louth; Sir William Taaffe was later granted confiscated lands in Co. Sligo, where his son was made Baron of Ballymote.[1]

What title did the Taaffe family hold?

John Taaffe was created Baron of Ballymote and Viscount Corren in 1628 (Webb prints that 1628 creation as 'Viscount Taaffe'); his son Theobald was made Earl of Carlingford in 1661. Woulfe adds that 'Nicholas, the second Earl of Carlingford, fell at the Boyne, and the family honours devolved on his brother Francis, the celebrated Count Taaffe of the German Empire' - he gives no year for it.[1]

Who was Rev. Denis Taaffe?

A Catholic clergyman and historian who took part in the Insurrection of 1798, heading the insurgents at Ballyellis, Co. Wexford, and published four volumes of An Impartial History of Ireland between 1809 and 1811. Webb says he was suspended from his priestly functions and became a Protestant, but was reconciled to his Church before his death in 1813.[6]

Sources

  1. Táth — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/t/tath.php
  2. Taaffe — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/taaffe.php
  3. Taaffe, Sir William — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/SirWilliamTaaffe.php
  4. Taaffe, Sir Theobald — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/SirTheobaldTaaffe.php
  5. Taaffe, Nicholas, Viscount — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ViscountNicholasTaaffe.php
  6. Taaffe, Rev. Denis — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RevDenisTaaffe.php

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