Ireland Surnames & Family Histories

There are nine titles included in this PDF image collection. You can search by title, publication year, and keyword (including names). Scanned PDF images of the original publications are included in search results and will allow you to read the titles in their entirety.

The titles included are as follows:

County Kerry Past and Present, A Handbook to the Local and Family History of the County, authored by Jeremiah King and published by Bodges, Figgis & Co. in 1931 – This is a great resource for learning more of the local family history of County Kerry. It comprises a listing of family names and places with notes compiled by King from various sources, such as census records, county histories, and Griffith’s Valuation. The publication is organized alphabetically.

Crofton Memoirs, an account of John Crofton, of Ballymurry, Co. Roscommon, Queen Elizabeth’s escheator-general of Ireland, and of his ancestors and descendants, and other bearing the name, authored by Henry Thomas Crofton and published by Yorkshire Printing Company in 1911 – This publication gives an account of John Crofton and his descendants. Originally from London, Crofton came to Ireland in 1565 and became escheator general in 1575. While a family history, it is also a valuable resource for anyone interested in the Connaught region or in Irish history during the 1500s. Along with the Crofton pedigree, several other family pedigrees are included.
Special Report on Surnames in Ireland, authored by Sir Robert E. Matheson and published by Alexander Thom & Co. in 1894 – Learn more about your Irish family name from the first official work on surnames in Ireland. Matheson used birth registers from 1890 to create a surname list from which to determine a name’s frequency and distribution throughout Ireland, including county-level breakdowns of surname distributions. Matheson offers comparisons of the 100 most frequent names with those in England and Scotland. Additionally, there is a wealth of knowledge provided on the study of Irish surnames. There are over 2,600 Irish surnames included in this publication.
The Aylmers of Ireland, authored by F.J. Aylmer and published by Mitchell Hughes and Clark in 1931 – Read one of the most comprehensive Irish family histories ever published. Lieutenant General Sir Fenton John Aylmer wrote this history of his ancestors, the Aylmers of Ireland, starting with their first appearance in that country. Along with some dedicated chapters for his most notable ancestors, Aylmer focuses on four main sections of the Aylmer tree: the Aylmers of Meath, the Aylmers of Donadea, the Aylmers of Ballykenane and Painstown, and the Aylmers of Lyons. Additionally, Aylmer spends the final chapters of the publication on lands of the Aylmers.
Irish Names and Surnames, authored by Rev. Patrick Woulfe and published by M.H. Gill & Son, Ltd. – Rev. Woulfe spent 25 years of research gathering the majority of forenames and surnames in Ireland along with notations on their origins, meanings, Irish and English translations, and history. The publication is broken into sections including clan names, the Irish name system, and names of men and women.
O’Hart’s Irish & Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry, authored by John O’Hart and published by M.H. Gill & Son, Ltd. – This publication holds over 231 family pedigrees, some going back as far as the 12th century. O’Hart focused on families who came from Britain and settled in Ireland between the medieval period and the 19th century. The publication is replete with appendixes of historic documents, which can aid you in your research of Irish family history.
Selections from Old Kerry Records (1872) and Selections from Old Kerry Records, Second Series (1874), authored by Mary Agnes Hickson and published by Watson & Hazell in 1874 – Are you interested in the history of County Kerry? Hickson, an antiquarian and genealogist, compiled these two books, which contain vast amounts of historical and genealogical information for County Kerry from the medieval period to the 19th century. One thing that makes these publications so important is that they include transcripts of now lost documents. Much of what is included can help you in your family history research, such as gravestone inscriptions, family pedigrees and papers, details of land forfeitures, and county maps. The hand-written notes found within these volumes are the work of the prior owner, Ellen O’Connell, the daughter of Daniel O’Connell (“The Liberator”), who campaigned for Catholic emancipation.
A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland, authored by Sir Bernard Burke and published by Harrison, Pall Mall in 1863 – This is the fourth edition of this publication, better known as Burke’s Landed Gentry of Britain and Ireland. Detailed genealogies are provided along with the inclusion of heraldic details of thousands of families not included in the Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage volumes.
The Peerage of Ireland, or a Genealogical History of the Present Nobility of that Kingdom, authored by John Lodge and published by William Johnston in 1754 – According to Burke’s Peerage, this 1754 publication in four volumes is the "first great printed collection of Irish pedigrees and family history, in which a high degree of reliance may be made." The publication used many sources that were later destroyed in the Four Courts Fire of 1922 and, as such, is an incredibly valuable resource for genealogists and historians alike.