O'Farrell - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Fearghail
Meaning: “man of valour”
Traditional stronghold: Longford
Princes of Annaly - Longford town is Longphort Uí Fhearghail.
Pronunciation: oh-FAR-ul; Irish O Fearghail: oh FAR-il
History of the O'Farrell name
The O'Farrells (or O'Fearghail) were the ruling family of Annaly, a territory corresponding closely to modern County Longford, where they held the chieftaincy and split over time into two lines known as O'Farrell Boy and O'Farrell Bane. They remained a significant force in the midlands through the late medieval period, resisting encroachment before eventually losing their lands under 17th-century plantation and confiscation policies. Many O'Farrells subsequently served in continental European armies as part of the Wild Geese diaspora, with descendants rising to prominence in Spain and Chile. The surname remains most strongly rooted in Longford and the surrounding midland counties, and the O prefix has often been retained more than in many other names.
Variants: Farrell · O'Ferrall · Ferrall
Famous bearers of the name
- Ambrose O'Higgins - distantly connected Wild Geese-era figure; direct bearer: Richard O'Farrell, 18th-century Irish soldier in continental service
- Bernard O'Farrell - Irish-Australian settler figure
- Elizabeth Farrell - Irish-Australian nurse and community figure of the colonial era
- Glenda Farrell - American actress of Irish descent
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Flood · Fox · Gaffney · McCormack