Donohoe — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Donnchadha
Meaning: 'descendant of Donnchadh (brown warrior)'
Traditional stronghold: Kerry, Galway, Cavan
Pronunciation: DON-uh-hoo; Irish Ó Donnchadha: oh DUN-uh-khah
History of the Donohoe name
Donohoe, Donoghue and O'Donoghue all render Ó Donnchadha, 'descendant of Donnchadh', a name borne by several great septs. The most famous were the O'Donoghues of Kerry, kin to the royal MacCarthys, whose chief O'Donoghue Mór ruled from Ross Castle on the Lakes of Killarney; legend has him living beneath the waters still, riding across Lough Leane each May morning. Another branch, O'Donoghue of the Glens, retains a recognised chief to this day, and the poet-chief Séafraidh Ó Donnchadha of Glenflesk led the family's literary tradition in the 17th century. The Donohoe spelling, however, is characteristic of a distinct sept in Co. Cavan and adjoining Galway and Meath, where it remains very common.
Variants: O'Donoghue · Donoghue · Donahue · Donohue
Famous bearers of the name
- Paschal Donohoe — Dublin politician, Minister for Finance and president of the Eurogroup.
- Séafraidh Ó Donnchadha an Ghleanna — 17th-century poet and chief of the O'Donoghues of Glenflesk in Kerry.
- Juan O'Donojú — Seville-born soldier of Irish descent, the last Spanish viceroy of Mexico, who signed the treaty recognising its independence.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · O'Sullivan · O'Connor · McCarthy · Lynch · Connolly · O'Connell · Burke