| Last updated
10:37 PM, April 14 2021 GMT+1
What s in a name? Quite a lot it turns out, if you re lucky enough to be born with an authentic Irish surname that is.
In a new piece published on the ambiguously titled website Ireland Before You Die (IB4UD to its stans), the writer Ger Leddin breaks down the Top 20 most common Irish surnames, detailing their origins and true meanings. Whilst the monikers that make the list are somewhat predictable, the stories behind some of these everyday surnames may surprise you.
Unsurprisingly, Murphy came out on top as the name most frequently encountered in Ireland. However, if holding the most common surname in Ireland has left you questioning how special you might be, fear not as the writer explains the name translated from Irish literally means sea warrior proving the Murphys are not to be messed with.