Fleming — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Pléimeann
Meaning: 'the Fleming, a settler from Flanders'
Traditional stronghold: Meath, Cork
Pronunciation: FLEM-ing; Irish Pléimeann: PLAY-mun
History of the Fleming name
Fleming simply means a native of Flanders, and Flemish soldiers and settlers were numerous in the Norman invasion of Ireland, having first colonised south Wales. The greatest Irish line were the Flemings of Slane, Co. Meath, barons there from the 12th century until the Williamite confiscations swept them away; the Hill of Slane and its ruined friary stand on their old lordship. Other Flemings put down deep roots in Cork city and county. As staunch Catholics the leading families lost everything in the 17th century, several entering the Church or continental service. The name is now spread across Ireland, with particular strength in Munster, and is borne by Gaelic scholars, churchmen and sportspeople alike.
Variants: Pléimeann · Flemyng · Flemming
Famous bearers of the name
- Thomas Fleming — Franciscan of the Slane family who served as Catholic Archbishop of Dublin through the Confederate wars.
- Patrick Fleming — Franciscan hagiographer of the Louvain school, killed in Bohemia in 1631 while collecting the lives of Irish saints.
- John Fleming — Seán Pléimeann, Waterford Gaelic scholar and editor who helped keep Irish-language publishing alive in the 19th century.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Murphy · Kelly · O'Sullivan · McCarthy · Daly · Collins · Flynn · Healy