Moran

An Irish surname of Dublin, Galway, Kerry, and Mayo. In the 2010 US census it was carried by 88,615 people, the 353rd most common surname in the country.

Moran is the anglicised form of seven distinct Irish names. Some you can hear in the English name; others look and sound nothing like it, and were simply swapped for it.

Ó Moghráin, descendant of Mughrón (slave-seal)

Ó Móirín, descendant of Móirín (diminutive of mór , great)

Ó Móráin, descendant of Mórán (diminutive of mór , great). This family stood in Co. Mayo and Co. Sligo.

Ó Mughróin, descendant of Mughrón (slave-seal). This family stood in Co. Galway and Co. Roscommon.

Ó Muireáin, descendant of Muireán (diminutive of some name commencing with Muir-). This family stood in Co. Mayo.

Ó Muirín, descendant of Muirín (diminutive of some name commencing with Muir-)

Ó Murcháin, descendant of Murchadhán (diminutive of Murchadh, sea-warrior). This family stood in Co. Kildare, Co. Leitrim, and Co. Offaly.

Where the name comes from

Ó Móráin is descendant of Mórán, a little great one, and it belonged to a branch of the Ui Fiachrach in the present counties of Mayo and Sligo who ruled an extensive district on both sides of the river Moy. The chief resided at Ardnaree near Ballina. O'Moran was a common surname in the 16th century in all parts of Connacht and Leinster, and in Ormond and Thomond as well.

A quite separate name lands on the same spelling. Ó Mughróin, descendant of Mughrón, the slave-seal, was one of the chief families of Clann Chathail, a branch of the Siol Muireadhaigh in the present Co. Roscommon, and also a branch of the Ui Maine in Co. Galway who were chiefs of Cruffon, comprising the barony (an old land division, several parishes across) of Killyan and part of Ballymoe.

Several more crowd in: Ó Muireáin of the Ui Fiachrach in the west of Co. Mayo, and Ó Murcháin, descendant of a little sea-warrior, whose Offaly family were formerly chiefs of Magh Aoife in the barony of East Offaly and are still numerous in Kildare and Offaly, though often disguised as Morrins and Morans.

Moonlight reflecting on the sea near the Muglins lighthouse off Dalkey Island, Dublin, with the Kish light on the horizon
The Muglins by Moonlight II

The Moran counties, photographed

Dublin

Dublin is a county as well as a city. The bay has Howth at the north end and Killiney Hill at the south, the Muglins are a pair of rocks off Dalkey, and the Dublin Mountains start about half an hour from the city centre.

Long exposure panoramic view of the White Rock swimming platform at Killiney Bay, Dublin, floating in misty high-tide watersThe White Rock, Killiney Bay, Co. Dublin Co. Dublin Heron fishing at dawn on the Dublin coast — fine art wildlife photograph by Peter CoxHeron, Co. Dublin Co. Dublin

Galway

Connemara takes up the west of the county: the Twelve Bens, blanket bog, and fields walled off into very small squares. The Aran Islands sit at the mouth of Galway Bay. The Gaeltacht starts a few miles west of Galway city.

Enormous waves sending spray over 30-metre sea cliffs at Poll an tSeidein on Inis Meain, Aran Islands at sunsetPoll an tSéideáin, Inis Meáin, Aran Islands, Co. Galway Co. Galway The rusting Plassey shipwreck on Inis Oirr, Aran Islands, seen from above with the Atlantic Ocean beyondThe Plassey, Inis Oirr, Aran Islands, Co. Galway Co. Galway Dramatic storm waves battering tall cliffs at sunset on the west coast of Inis Meain, Aran IslandsPoll an tSéideáin Panoramic, Inis Meáin, Aran Islands, Co. Galway Co. Galway

Kerry

Carrauntoohil in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks is the highest mountain in Ireland at 1,038 metres. The Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas run west from it, with the Skelligs eight miles off the Iveragh coast. I ran a gallery in Killarney for years.

Moody long exposure of Coumeenoole Beach with Blasket Islands, Dingle, Kerry, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxEvening, Coumeenoole Beach, Dingle, Kerry Co. Kerry Long exposure evening light on moss-covered rocks at Coumeenoole Beach, Dingle, Kerry, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxEvening II, Coumeenoole Beach, Dingle, Kerry Co. Kerry An Searrach sea stack at night near Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland, long exposure fine art photograph by Peter CoxAn Searrach, Dingle, Co. Kerry Co. Kerry

Mayo

Achill is the largest island off the Irish coast and is joined to the mainland by a bridge. Clew Bay is full of drumlins that were drowned when the sea rose, which is where the story about an island for every day of the year comes from. Croagh Patrick stands over the south side of the bay. Mayo's population is still less than half what it was before the Famine.

Black and white view across Doo Lough towards Ben Gorm and mountains, Co. Mayo, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDoo Lough, Co. Mayo Co. Mayo Black and white view of Dun Briste sea stack from a sea cave, Co. Mayo, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDún Briste from the Cave Co. Mayo Black and white lone tree standing in bogland with the Partry Mountains behind, County MayoLone Tree, Partry Mountains, Co. Mayo Co. Mayo

All Dublin prints · All Galway prints · All Kerry prints · All Mayo prints

Notable bearers

Caitlin Moran (born 1975), writer, screenwriter, and film producer.

Dylan Moran (born 1971), actor, screenwriter, and comedian.

Jerry Moran (born 1954), politician, university teacher, and lawyer.

Erin Moran (1960-2017), actor.

Thomas Moran (1837-1926), painter, explorer, and graphic artist.

About this page

The counties on this page are where the name was thickest on the ground in Ireland a century and a half ago, not a claim about any one family. Names moved around inside the country as much as they left it. The photographs are mine, made in the counties named.

More Irish surnames: King · Reynolds · Ford · Hunt · Hart · Burke · Banks · May · Hopkins · Leonard · Thornton · Higgins

How common the name was

In 1890, 265 births were registered under Moran in Ireland, most of them in Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Mayo, and Roscommon.

Connacht 132
Leinster 82
Munster 36
Ulster 15
Ireland 265

Leitrim and Roscommon are the ones I haven't worked in.