Maher - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Meachair
Meaning: “kindly, hospitable”
Traditional stronghold: Tipperary
Also spelled Meagher - as in Thomas Francis Meagher, who gave Ireland the tricolour.
Pronunciation: MAH-her or MAR; Irish Ó Meachair: oh MAKH-ir
History of the Maher name
Ó Meachair comes from meachar, meaning kindly or hospitable. The sept was of the same stock as the O'Carrolls of Éile and ruled the territory of Uí Chairín, which survives as the barony of Ikerrin in north Tipperary around Roscrea. Unusually among Gaelic septs, the Mahers largely stayed put through the upheavals of the early modern period, and the name remains overwhelmingly concentrated in Tipperary and adjoining Kilkenny and Laois to this day; it is regularly among the most common surnames in Tipperary. The spelling Meagher, as borne by the Young Ireland leader Thomas Francis Meagher, represents the same name.
Variants: Meagher · O'Meagher
Famous bearers of the name
- T. J. Maher - Tipperary farm leader, president of the IFA and long-serving member of the European Parliament.
- Patrick 'Bonner' Maher - Tipperary hurler and multiple All-Ireland winner.
- Bill Maher - American comedian and television host whose father was of Irish descent.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Kennedy · Carroll · Hogan · Tobin · Keating · Egan