Carroll - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Cearbhaill
Meaning: “fierce in battle”
Traditional stronghold: Offaly, Tipperary
The Ó Cearbhaill were princes of Éile.
Pronunciation: KAR-uhl; Irish O Cearbhaill: oh KAR-vil
History of the Carroll name
O Cearbhaill, from a personal name suggesting 'fierce in battle', was borne by several important septs, most notably the O'Carrolls of Ely (in modern Offaly/Tipperary), a powerful midland dynasty, and a separate line in Oriel (Monaghan/Louth) that later gave way to the McMahons. The Ely O'Carrolls held their territory into the 16th century and were noted patrons of learning. The surname anglicised early and consistently to Carroll, with the O prefix widely dropped, and it spread well beyond its original midland base. One especially notable emigrant branch settled in colonial Maryland, producing Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the American Declaration of Independence and the wealthiest man in the colonies at the time.
Variants: O'Carroll · Carrol
Famous bearers of the name
- Charles Carroll of Carrollton - only Catholic signer of the US Declaration of Independence
- Lewis Carroll - pen name of Charles Dodgson, unrelated by descent but a famous bearer of the anglicised form
- Vinnette Carroll - American theatre director of Caribbean-Irish heritage
- P. J. Carroll - founder of the Irish tobacco firm P.J. Carroll & Co.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Kennedy · Dunne · Mooney · Hogan · Tobin · Keating