Is your surname common or rare

yourdeadwright

Very common in England , Not overly common here but not unheard off ,

cj maxx

I share my surname with a top Provo , and am from the local border which is probably why I was under constant surveillance in England.

Badly Drunk Boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119587320#Comment_119587320

Yeah, I know the feeling. My surname is in the top 10 Irish surnames, and my first name has been in the top 10 or 20 boys names in Ireland for decades. But I don't personally know anyone with the same name combination.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119587838#Comment_119587838

Heh..yep, same surname!

Awful abuse when I'm in the UK!

mojesius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119592573#Comment_119592573

Really? Do people start making shite jokes and singing various songs that has the word in it to you?

AMKC

I would say my surname is not uncommen it's quite commen actually but the way we my family spell it is rare.

It was something my father adapted when he was in school in England for a while and it just stuck.

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119587693#Comment_119587693

That said, there are a few famous american athletes with the same surname, I'll claim them as cousins

Mine is the same as a top American military general. That's the only time I've ever seen it in the media.

Sgt Hartman

My surname is quite common around East Clare and Tipperary. The name originates from the brother of an Irish King, and there's also a castle close to Lough Derg that was said to be one of our ancestral homes. If I ever won the Euromillions I'd like to buy the castle from the Irish state, renovate it completely, and then decorate it with flags and banners of my family coat of arms. I'd then buy a title and live out my fantasy as a Game of Thrones style feudal Lord. I might even start charging the "smallfolk" around the area yearly tithes and taxes and demand that they bend the knee and pledge allegiance to me :D

MarkR

Very uncommon spelling, but not that weird I think. Just found this cool site.

https://forebears.io/surnames/robert

Grayson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119584936#Comment_119584936

I checked mine. It's only in english speaking countries. There's about 6k in the us which is the highest. And really feck all worldwide.

StevenToast

This thread needs to start listing surnames.....

Mine is rare enough.....Toast

Badly Drunk Boy

For information and the historical distribution of Irish names, try this site:

https://www.johngrenham.com/

laoisgem

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119584936#Comment_119584936

Very interesting link. Only approximately 1,210 of us worldwide. Makes me want to look into it further 🤓

neenam

Mother's maiden name, I'm also originally from the North Cork area. From the John Grenham website "rare: E Cork etc. Ir. Ó Mothlacháin, dimin. of mothalach, bushy-haired."

Father's surname is concentrated in the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry, followed by Limerick and North Cork area. I've rarely met anyone with the father's/my own surname out and about, so I guess it's not that common compared to the likes of O'Brien, etc.

neenam

Mother's maiden name, I'm also originally from the North Cork area. From the John Grenham website "rare: E Cork etc. Ir. Ó Mothlacháin, dimin. of mothalach, bushy-haired."

Father's surname is concentrated in the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry, followed by Limerick and North Cork area. I've rarely met anyone with the father's/my own surname out and about, so I guess it's not that common compared to the likes of O'Brien, etc. Oh and "numerous: Kerry, Limerick etc. Ir. Ó Clúmháin, clúmhach meaning hairy, furry."

You'd swear we have some reputation for great hair in the family 😆

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119593836#Comment_119593836

Reject, pronounced Rejay. Think of bouquet.

Quite rare. Anglicisation of an Irish name - but, we must be pretty poor at the auld riddin' (felt it was my duty to put that right) or produce mostly girls. Sissy Mickey I heard it called 🤣

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119593836#Comment_119593836

The problem with that... if you are in the rare category is that you'd be pretty much outing yourself.

Grayson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119595566#Comment_119595566

Yep. I know if I posted my name there's a few people who'd know exactly who I am.

maccored

165 in ireland with my surname - and they keep refering to it being an english version of the scottish name, rather than the irish name (its the english version of both)

Ush1

My surname is a common Munster surname. My mother's maiden name is more unusual and is a planter name. Breeding in me.

retalivity

That forebears site is interesting...there are apparently only 21 of us in Ireland in 2014, presumably all my family. There's thousands in the US and UK, and weirdly 74 in Finland.