Gleeson - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Glasáin
Meaning: “green, grey-green”
Traditional stronghold: Tipperary
Pronunciation: GLEE-sun; Irish Ó Gliasáin: oh GLEE-saw-in
History of the Gleeson name
Ó Gliasáin, earlier Ó Glasáin, is possibly connected with glas, meaning green or grey. The sept's homeland lay in north Tipperary, in the district of Aherlow and later in the barony of Owney and Arra near the Shannon between Nenagh and Limerick, and Tipperary remains the great county of the Gleesons, with the name plentiful too in Limerick and Clare. Bearers were prominent in the church and in Gaelic learning through the medieval period. In modern times the name has become internationally familiar through an extraordinary theatrical family: Brendan Gleeson and his sons Domhnall and Brian are all acclaimed actors.
Variants: Gleason · Glissane
Famous bearers of the name
- Brendan Gleeson - Dublin actor of The Guard, In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin, an Oscar nominee.
- Domhnall Gleeson - Actor son of Brendan, known for Star Wars, Brooklyn and About Time.
- Jack Gleeson - Cork-born actor who played Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones.
- Evelyn Gleeson - Craftswoman who co-founded the Dun Emer Guild with the Yeats sisters.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Kennedy · Carroll · Hogan · Tobin · Keating · Egan