Heffernan - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó hIfearnáin
Meaning: descendant of Ifearnán
Traditional stronghold: Limerick, Tipperary
Pronunciation: HEF-er-nan; Irish O hIfearnain: oh EE-fer-nawn
History of the Heffernan name
Heffernan derives from O hIfearnain, likely connected to Ifreann, the Irish word for hell, though as with many such names this probably reflects a fierce or fearsome nickname rather than a literal association. The sept was based in County Tipperary and adjoining parts of County Limerick, within the historic territory of Owney, where they were a family of some standing before the Anglo-Norman and later confiscations reduced their lands. The name has stayed strongly rooted in its original Tipperary-Limerick area, and it remains one of the more recognisably Munster surnames in Ireland today, having changed relatively little in its anglicised form.
Variants: Heffron · O'Heffernan
Famous bearers of the name
- Kevin Heffernan - Dublin Gaelic football manager who led the county to four All-Ireland titles between 1974 and 1983
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Kennedy · Collins · Fitzgerald · Carroll · Hayes · Hogan