O'Hea — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: O hAodha
Meaning: 'descendant of Aodh' (aodh, fire)
Traditional stronghold: Cork
Pronunciation: oh-HAY; Irish O hAodha: oh HAY-a
History of the O'Hea name
O'Hea derives from O hAodha, 'descendant of Aodh', one of the most widespread personal names in early Ireland, meaning fire, which gave rise to several unrelated surnames including Hughes and Hayes in different regions. The O'Hea family specifically were located in west County Cork, where they held a modest but persistent presence through the medieval and early modern periods. Because so many separate Irish families descend from an ancestor named Aodh, O'Hea should be understood as one distinct regional branch of that broader naming pattern rather than connected to the similarly derived surnames found elsewhere in the country. The name remains concentrated in west Cork today.
Variants: Hea · Hay (in some cases)
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Murphy · O'Sullivan · McCarthy · Daly · Collins · Flynn · Healy · Casey