Bagenal — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: not applicable; English/Welsh origin
Meaning: from a Welsh place name
Traditional stronghold: Carlow, Kilkenny
Pronunciation: BAG-nal
History of the Bagenal name
The Bagenals were an English family granted extensive lands in Carlow and Kilkenny in the 16th century, giving their name to the town of Bagenalstown (Muine Bheag). Sir Henry Bagenal served as marshal of the English army in Ireland during the Nine Years War and was killed at the Battle of the Yellow Ford in 1598. His sister Mabel Bagenal caused a considerable scandal by eloping with and marrying Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, an alliance that dramatically worsened relations between the O'Neills and the Crown. The surname remains rare, specifically linked to that south Leinster gentry family.
Variants: Bagnall · Bagenall
Famous bearers of the name
- Sir Henry Bagenal — Elizabethan marshal of the army in Ireland, killed at the Battle of the Yellow Ford
- Mabel Bagenal — Married Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, in a politically explosive union
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Walsh · Brennan · Kavanagh · Nolan · Whelan · Fitzpatrick · Tobin · Purcell