Stapleton — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Mac an Ghaill
Meaning: 'son of the foreigner' (Norman, from Stapleton in England)
Traditional stronghold: Kilkenny, Tipperary
Pronunciation: STAY-pul-tun; Irish Mac an Ghaill: mock un GILL
History of the Stapleton name
Stapleton is an English place-name surname ('farmstead by the pillar') brought to Ireland by a Norman family soon after the invasion. They settled in the Ormond territory of Tipperary and Kilkenny and became so thoroughly gaelicised that Irish speakers knew them as Mac an Ghaill, 'son of the foreigner', a name sometimes re-anglicised as Gall or Gaule. The Stapletons held castles in the Thurles district and ranked among the leading Old English gentry of Tipperary, suffering the usual confiscations in the Cromwellian era. The name remains most numerous in Tipperary and Kilkenny, and its bearers have ranged from Georgian Dublin's finest stuccodore to Ireland's centre-forwards.
Variants: Stapelton · Gall · Gaule
Famous bearers of the name
- Michael Stapleton — Master stuccodore whose plasterwork adorns Dublin's finest Georgian interiors.
- Frank Stapleton — Republic of Ireland striker and captain who starred for Arsenal and Manchester United.
- Maureen Stapleton — Irish-American actress, Oscar winner for Reds.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · Ryan · Walsh · Kennedy · Brennan · Fitzpatrick · Carroll · Hogan