Tuohy — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Tuathaigh
Meaning: 'descendant of Tuathach' (ruler of a territory)
Traditional stronghold: Clare, Galway
Pronunciation: TOO-ee or TOO-hee; Irish Ó Tuathaigh: oh TOO-uh-hee
History of the Tuohy name
Ó Tuathaigh derives from tuathach, meaning the lord or ruler of a tuath, the basic territorial unit of Gaelic Ireland - making it a close cousin in sense to Tierney. The sept belonged to the Uí Maine (Hy Many) confederation of east Galway, and the name's homeland has always been Galway and north Clare, spilling into Tipperary and Limerick. Anglicisation produced a bewildering array of spellings - Tuohy, Touhy, Toohey, Twohy, Towey and more - with Toohey especially common among the Irish in Australia, where a Tuohy family founded one of the country's most famous breweries. The name remains firmly rooted in the west of Ireland.
Variants: Touhy · Toohey · Twohy
Famous bearers of the name
- Liam Tuohy — Shamrock Rovers legend who managed the Republic of Ireland and nurtured a generation of young players.
- Patrick Tuohy — Dublin painter of the revolutionary generation who portrayed James Joyce and his family.
- Denis Tuohy — Belfast-born broadcaster who helped launch BBC Two in 1964.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · O'Brien · Kennedy · Lynch · Quinn · Connolly · Burke · Clarke