Hennessy - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó hAonghusa
Meaning: descendant of Aonghus - “one choice”
Traditional stronghold: Offaly, Cork
Yes - the cognac Hennessys came from Cork.
Pronunciation: HEN-ess-ee; Irish Ó hAonghusa: oh HAYN-uss-ah
History of the Hennessy name
Ó hAonghusa, 'descendant of Aonghus', was borne by several septs: the principal one held lands on the Offaly-Westmeath border near Kilbeggan, while others sat in Clare and on the Cork-Limerick border, where the name is now most numerous. The Munster Hennessys supplied soldiers to the Jacobite cause, and it was one of these, Richard Hennessy of Ballymacmoy near Killavullen, Co. Cork, who after service in the Irish Brigade of France settled in Cognac and in 1765 founded the brandy house that carries the name around the world today. His descendants still help direct it. The name has also distinguished itself in colonial administration, painting and scholarship.
Variants: Hennessey · O'Hennessy · Henchy
Famous bearers of the name
- Richard Hennessy - Cork-born officer in the Irish Brigade of France who founded the Hennessy cognac house in 1765.
- John Pope Hennessy - Cork politician and colonial governor of Hong Kong and Mauritius, notably sympathetic to native populations.
- Patrick Hennessy - Cork realist painter celebrated for his still lifes and haunting coastal scenes.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Murphy · O'Sullivan · McCarthy · Daly · Dunne · Collins · Flynn · Healy