Fallon - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Fallamháin
Meaning: “ruler”
Traditional stronghold: Galway, Roscommon
Pronunciation: FAL-un; Irish Ó Fallamhain: oh FAL-oo-in
History of the Fallon name
Ó Fallamhain derives from follamhan, meaning 'ruler' or 'leader'. The sept belonged to the Uí Maine and its chiefs ruled Clann Uadach, a territory in County Roscommon between Athleague and the rivers Suck and Shannon, with a seat at Miltown. They kept their position as lords there until the confiscations of the seventeenth century scattered the leading families. The name remains strongly tied to Roscommon, east Galway and the midlands, and was carried abroad in strength during the nineteenth century; in America it is familiar from cities with large Irish populations. Falloon is a common Ulster variant of the same name.
Variants: O'Fallon · Falloon
Famous bearers of the name
- Padraic Fallon - Athenry-born poet and playwright, a major figure in mid-century Irish letters.
- Kieren Fallon - Clare-born jockey, six times British flat racing champion.
- Jimmy Fallon - American late-night television host of Irish ancestry.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · O'Connor · Lynch · Murray · Connolly · Brennan · Burke · Flynn