Blennerhassett — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: not applicable; English toponymic origin
Meaning: from a place name in Cumbria, England
Traditional stronghold: Kerry
Pronunciation: BLEN-er-has-et
History of the Blennerhassett name
Blennerhassett is an English surname, taken from a place name in Cumbria, brought to Ireland when the family settled in Kerry in the 16th century and became a prominent landed gentry family there. Though rare, the name achieved unusual international recognition through a Kerry-born family member who emigrated to America in the 1790s, settled on an island in the Ohio River, and became entangled in Aaron Burr's notorious conspiracy, leaving his name permanently attached to the island where his mansion once stood.
Variants: Blennerhasset · Blannerhassett
Famous bearers of the name
- Harman Blennerhassett — Kerry-born emigrant whose Ohio River island home became linked to the Aaron Burr conspiracy
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Sullivan · O'Connor · McCarthy · O'Connell · Fitzgerald · O'Shea · Griffin · Kelleher