O'Riordan - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Ríordáin
Meaning: “royal poet”
Traditional stronghold: Cork, Limerick
Pronunciation: oh REER-dun; Irish Ó Ríordáin: oh REER-dawn
History of the O'Riordan name
Ó Ríordáin is a contraction of Ó Ríoghbhardáin, from ríoghbhard, 'royal bard'. The sept arose in the Ely O'Carroll territory of north Tipperary and Offaly, but was driven south-west by the Anglo-Norman advance in the 13th century and re-rooted itself in Co. Cork, especially in the Muskerry country along the Lee valley, where the name has been thick ever since; Limerick and Kerry also have many. The spellings O'Riordan, Riordan and Reardon all represent the same name. Its modern bearers span the two languages of Ireland: Seán Ó Ríordáin remade poetry in Irish in the 20th century, while Dolores O'Riordan of Limerick carried the name around the world with The Cranberries.
Variants: Riordan · Reardon · Rearden
Famous bearers of the name
- Seán Ó Ríordáin - Ballyvourney-born poet, the most important voice in modern Irish-language poetry.
- Dolores O'Riordan - Limerick singer whose voice defined The Cranberries and songs like Linger and Zombie.
- Cait O'Riordan - Bass player with The Pogues on their classic early albums.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Murphy · O'Brien · Ryan · O'Sullivan · McCarthy · Daly · Collins · Fitzgerald