Surname Clohessy - Meaning and Origin
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Clohessy: What does the surname Clohessy mean?
The last name Clohessy is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic surname O Clochasaigh, which is derived from the Gaelic word “cloch” meaning “stone.” This name is thought to be of toponymic origin, referring to individuals from the town of Cloch Mhain in County Kildare, Ireland, which is translated as “the Stone of the Plain”. The town was historically connected to the powerful O’Tooles, from whom the Clohessy's would have likely acquired the surname as an ironic or humorous byname.
The name has adopted many spellings, and the surname Clohessy may also appear as Clochasaigh, Clochseigh, Cloucey, Cloussey, and other variations. Historically, the surname Clohessy belonged to a sept of the O’Tooles, who were one of the most influential clans in the Pale of Leinster (roughly, present-day County Kildare) from the 12th to 17th centuries. The sept may have held some high-ranking positions in government as well; the Cloucey family is documented as holding even higher positions, such as judges and sheriffs, throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.
Today, the last name Clohessy is fairly rare and is still confined to Munster and Ulster regions of Ireland. It is thought to have never been especially common outside of Ireland, even during the great Irish diaspora of the 19th century.
Order DNA origin analysisClohessy: Where does the name Clohessy come from?
The last name Clohessy is mainly found in Ireland, particularly in the south and west of the country. In the 1890s, the name was mainly found in Counties Cork, Kerry, and Waterford. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic Ó Clochasaigh, meaning 'descendant of Clochasach', a personal name from the early Christian era.
It is thought by some that name may have even originated in Scotland, making its way to Ireland with the Normans. Today, it is most commonly found in County Cork, with other occurrences in other counties of Ireland such as Mayo, Donegal, Limerick and Tipperary.
Outside of Ireland, the name Clohessy is also found in England, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. It is particularly common in areas which were formerly populated by Irish immigrants such as Boston, Massachusetts and its suburbs, the Five Boroughs of New York, and Chicago, Illinois. It is also found throughout other parts of the United States and Canada, as well as in other countries with large Irish diaspora populations including Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
The other Gaelic form of the name, Mac Clochasaigh, is found in Scotland.
In all, the last name Clohessy is still relatively common today and likely to stay so given the large Irish populations in many parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Clohessy
Clohessy is an Irish surname of Gaelic-Norman origin. Variants of the surname Clohessy include Clohisy, Clohasy, Clahasey, and Clahassy. It is typically spelled Cloh-H-E-S-S-Y.
In Ireland, the surname Clohessy is most commonly found in County Clare, where it is spelt either Clohessy, Clohasy or Clohisy. In County Kerry, the surname Clohessy is found in numerous spellings including Clahassy and Clahasey. In other parts of the country, the surname can also be found with the variations Clahucky, Clahaxey, and Clahassy.
In Scotland, the name is spelled Clahasey and Clahasy. In England, the name is spelled Clahasey and Clohassy.
The various spelling and variant forms of the name are all derived from the Gaelic-Norman phrase "Cloch Oisigh", which means "stone of the Wisemen" or "descent from the Wisemen".
In terms of surnames derived from a common origin, other surnames related to Clohessy include Cloghessy, Clehesy, Clehassy, Plahassey, Flahassey, Clahaskey, Cliniskey, and McGovern.
Overall, the surname Clohessy has a wide range of variants and spellings which are all derived from the Gaelic-Norman phrase "Cloch Oisigh" which means "stone of the Wisemen" or "descent from the Wisemen". These variant forms and spellings can be found in Ireland, Scotland, and England.
Famous people with the name Clohessy
- Stephen Clohessy: a British actor best known for his voice-characterization in the voice-over of the computer game Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
- Mairead Clohessy: an Irish political scientist and former lecturer at University College Cork (UCC).
- Lorna Clohessy: an Irish fashion designer who founded her eponymous fashion label 'Lorna Clohessy'.
- Jack Clohessy: an English actor who is best known for his role in the movie Black Books.
- Robert Clohessy: an American actor who played Officer Barry Greene in the HBO series Oz.
- Catherine Clohessy: an American television writer, best known for her work on the CBS medical drama series Code Black.
- Aisling Clohessy: an Irish singer-songwriter, actress and author.
- Tom Clohessy: an Irish hurler who recently played with the Cork senior team.
- Rachel Clohessy: an American ballet dancer and choreographer best known for her interpretive work on Broadway.
- John Clohessy: an Irish historian and former Keeper of Irish Manuscripts in the National Library of Ireland.