Flaherty Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Flaherty last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Flaherty last name
Meaning of the Flaherty last name: bright ruler. Flaherty is an Irish surname from Ó Flaithbheartaigh, "descendant of Flaithbheartach", meaning "bright ruler" or "princely". The O'Flahertys ruled Iar Connacht, the west of Galway, for centuries. The last name is still concentrated in Galway and the Aran Islands. Their old stronghold was Aughnanure Castle near Oughterard.
Arms associated with the Flaherty name
Coats of arms associated with the Flaherty surname follow Irish heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Flaherty family history
This is only a glimpse of the Flaherty story. The full Flaherty history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Flaherty coat of arms. Get the full Flaherty report.
Flaherty name FAQ
What does the Flaherty name mean?
Bright ruler. Common variants include O'Flaherty, Laverty.
Where does the Flaherty surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Flaherty coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Flaherty coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Patrick Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames (1923).