Ennis — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó hAonghuis
Meaning: 'descendant of Aonghus (Angus)'
Traditional stronghold: Dublin, Kildare, Meath
Pronunciation: EN-iss; Irish Ó hAonghuis: oh HAYN-ish
History of the Ennis name
Ennis derives from Ó hAonghuis, a variant of the widespread name built on Aonghus, the ancient personal name of the Irish love god; it is related to Mac Aonghusa, the Magennis of Down, but forms a distinct Leinster family. The name has been settled for centuries in Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Westmeath, and unlike most Gaelic surnames it has no connection with the Clare county town of Ennis, whose name comes from inis, 'island'. Its most treasured bearer is Séamus Ennis of Finglas, master uilleann piper, singer and folklore collector, whose recording expeditions for the Irish Folklore Commission and the BBC in the 1940s and 1950s preserved an enormous share of the traditional music we have today.
Variants: Innis · Ennos · MacGuinness
Famous bearers of the name
- Séamus Ennis — Master uilleann piper and folklore collector whose field recordings saved hundreds of songs and tunes.
- John Ennis — Westmeath poet, winner of the Patrick Kavanagh Award, long based in Waterford.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · Byrne · Casey · Plunkett · Cusack · Dillon · Harte · Carolan