Mcs Lead the County Namestakes

Clare Champion, Friday, 17th August 2007

Irish family names are associated with particular towns or areas of the country but in today's fast-moving world, many people have lost track of their roots. This is where Clare County Library has stepped into the breach and research shows that McMahon and McNamara are the county's most common names.

Do you know which were the five most common surnames in County Clare in 1901? Or in 1855? Or between 1820 and 1840? Recent additions to Clare County Library’s website now provide answers to these questions. Frequency of Surnames lists for three major genealogical sources now join the wealth of material on the website.

Anyone with an interest in family history, statistical research or simply with a curiosity about their own name or locality will find a vast expanse of information on the frequency and spread of surnames in County Clare over a period of almost one hundred years. All the details can be viewed in the Genealogy section of the library website.

The information for this project was taken from three sources - the Census of Population of 1901, Griffith’s Valuation of 1855 and the Tithe Applotment Books compiled between 1823 and 1837. The 1901 Census of Ireland is the earliest complete census to survive which gives details on individuals. It includes information on first names and surnames, religion, ability to read and write, age, sex, occupation, marital status, county of birth, etc. Griffith’s Primary Valuation took place throughout Ireland during the middle of the nineteenth century and the valuation of Clare was published in 1855.

The Tithe Applotment Books were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in order to establish the amount landholders should pay towards the upkeep of the Church of Ireland. The taxable land in each parish was surveyed, giving the names of the occupiers of land in each townland, the acreage and class of land they held and the amount of taxes (tithes) they were liable for.

So, what were the top five names in County Clare in 1901? According to County Librarian Noel Crowley, the answer is McMahon, McNamara, O’Brien, Kelly and Moloney, in that order. “You can also discover the actual number of occurrences of each name”, he continues. “For example, there were 3,073 occurrences of McMahon’s and 2,736 occurrences of McNamara’s in 1901. It is also interesting to examine some of the more unusual names that crop up. Amongst the less frequent names, occurring only once in 1901, were Carlos, Mulpster, Nutterfield, Schmalyreid, and Von Troll. “

From the Frequency of Surnames list for the Griffith’s Valuation it would appear that the five most common surnames in County Clare in 1855 were McMahon, McNamara, O’Brien, Kelly and Ryan. “These results are skewed, however, by the nature of the 1855 valuation which names landholders and landowners in each townland”, says Noel Crowley. “If a person owned or rented land in a number of townlands, he will be named more than once”. Some unusual surnames found in Clare in 1855 were Berkary, Chaddock, Fetherstone, Juskoe and Pequin, each name occurring just once. The Frequency of Surnames list for the Tithe Applotment Books shows that the five most common surnames in County Clare between 1823 and 1837 were McNamara, McMahon, O’Brien, Kelly and Molony. Some of the more unusual names, occurring once, at this time include Bounce, Clauder, Foge, Jolly and Nurse.

This addition to the Clare Library website puts a wealth of information on surnames in County Clare at your disposal. It shows that if your name is McMahon or McNamara you feature in the top two in County Clare at all times between 1820 and 1901. O’Briens and Kellys come in third and fourth while Ryans and Moloneys vie for fifth place. A combined alphabetical list of every surname which occurs in the surveys is also given, which will help people browse for variations in surname spellings. Log on now at www.clarelibrary.ie and check out the popularity of your own name, examine the trends in the movement of names within the county, note the unusual names, observe newcomers to the county and see the disappearance of certain names over the years.

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