Moore - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Mórdha
Meaning: “stately, proud”
Traditional stronghold: Laois
Pronunciation: MOOR; Irish O Mordha: oh MOR-uh
History of the Moore name
Moore has a double origin. The Gaelic O Mordha, meaning 'majestic' or 'noble', were one of the Seven Septs of Laois, ruling the area around Portlaoise until their forcible removal under the 16th-century Plantation of Laois and Offaly, after which many were transplanted to Kerry. Separately, an Anglo-Norman and later English Moore family rose to prominence in the Pale and as Earls and Marquesses of Drogheda. The two strands, one dispossessed and one ascendant, converged under the same anglicised spelling, making Moore common across both the old Gaelic and settler traditions.
Variants: More · O'More · Moor
Famous bearers of the name
- Christy Moore - Kildare-born folk singer-songwriter and founder of Planxty and Moving Hearts
- Thomas Moore - Dublin-born poet, author of Moore's Melodies
- Brian Moore - Belfast-born novelist, author of The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Dunne · Fitzpatrick · Dowling · Dempsey · Brophy · Bergin · Delaney · Dooley