Harkin - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó hEarcáin
Meaning: “little red one”
Traditional stronghold: Derry, Donegal
Pronunciation: HAR-kin; Irish Ó hEarcáin: oh HARK-awn
History of the Harkin name
Harkin, Ó hEarcáin, derives from a diminutive of earc, an old word usually taken to mean 'red' or 'speckled'. The family belonged to Inishowen in County Donegal, where they were an erenagh family holding church lands in the north of the peninsula, and Inishowen remains the surname's homeland to this day, with Derry city close behind. The spelling Harkins, with the English plural s, became common among emigrants in Scotland and America. Though never a great territorial sept, the Harkins gave the diaspora notable figures in politics and public life.
Variants: Harkins · O'Harkin · Harken
Famous bearers of the name
- Tom Harkin - Five-term US senator from Iowa, of Irish descent, principal author of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Marian Harkin - Sligo-based independent MEP and TD.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Connor · Gallagher · Boyle · Doherty · Sweeney · O'Donnell · Duffy · McLoughlin