Dempsey - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Díomasaigh
Meaning: “proud”
Traditional stronghold: Laois, Offaly
Pronunciation: DEMP-see; Irish Ó Díomasaigh: oh JEE-mus-ee
History of the Dempsey name
Ó Díomasaigh comes from díomasach, meaning proud, and the O'Dempseys were long a power in the midlands. Their territory of Clanmalier straddled the River Barrow on the borders of Laois and Offaly, and an O'Dempsey chief earned lasting fame as one of the very few Irish leaders to defeat Strongbow in battle, in 1173. The family kept its position through the upheavals of the sixteenth century, and Terence O'Dempsey was created Viscount Clanmalier in 1631, but their loyalty to the Catholic cause in the Confederate and Williamite wars cost them everything, and the estates were entirely lost. The name remains common in Laois, Offaly and Dublin.
Variants: Dempsy · O'Dempsey
Famous bearers of the name
- Jack Dempsey - American world heavyweight boxing champion of the 1920s, of Irish descent, known as the Manassa Mauler.
- Jack 'Nonpareil' Dempsey - Kildare-born world middleweight champion of the 1880s, one of the first great Irish boxing stars in America.
- Patrick Dempsey - American actor of Irish descent, star of Grey's Anatomy.
- Clint Dempsey - United States soccer international and long-time Premier League forward.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Moore · Dunne · Fitzpatrick · Carroll · Mooney · Hennessy · Dowling · Molloy