Moran - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Móráin
Meaning: “great”
Traditional stronghold: Mayo, Roscommon
Pronunciation: MORE-un or muh-RAN; Irish Ó Móráin: oh MORE-awn
History of the Moran name
Moran, Ó Móráin, derives from mór, 'big' or 'great', and covers several distinct Connacht septs whose names merged under one anglicisation. The best known were a sept of the Uí Fiachrach seated near Ardnaree on the Moy in County Mayo, while the Ó Mughráin of the Uí Maine held lands in south Roscommon and east Galway. The name has therefore always been most numerous in Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and Sligo, though it spread throughout Ireland and is now among the hundred most common Irish surnames. Emigration carried it strongly to Britain and America in the nineteenth century.
Variants: Morran · O Morain
Famous bearers of the name
- Michael 'Zozimus' Moran - Blind Dublin street balladeer of the early nineteenth century.
- D. P. Moran - Journalist and founder of The Leader who coined the phrase 'Irish Ireland'.
- Kevin Moran - Rare dual star: All-Ireland winner with Dublin and FA Cup winner with Manchester United.
- Dylan Moran - Navan-born comedian and co-creator of Black Books.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · Walsh · O'Connor · Murray · Brennan · Burke · Flynn · Flanagan