Prendergast - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: de Priondargás
Meaning: Norman, from Pembrokeshire
Traditional stronghold: Tipperary, Mayo
Pronunciation: PREN-der-gast
History of the Prendergast name
Prendergast is a Norman surname, from Prendergast in Pembrokeshire, Wales, itself of Norse-Welsh origin. Maurice de Prendergast was among the first Cambro-Norman knights to land in Ireland in 1169 at the invitation of Dermot MacMurrough, taking part in the earliest phase of the Norman invasion. The family subsequently established themselves in County Mayo, where a branch became so thoroughly Gaelicised that they adopted Irish customs and language, and separately in County Kerry and County Tipperary. Prendergast is one of the clearer examples of a Norman surname that took deep root in Ireland while still being traceable to a specific Welsh place name.
Variants: Pendergast · Prengast
Famous bearers of the name
- Maurice de Prendergast - Cambro-Norman knight who took part in the 1169 invasion of Ireland
- Kathy Prendergast - Irish artist who won the Golden Lion for best young artist at the 1995 Venice Biennale
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Walsh · Kennedy · Burke · Carroll · Hogan · Tobin