Surname Origin

The Walsh Surname


Meaning
foreigner, Welshman
Type
Descriptive (origin)
Root
Old English wælisc
Chiefly
Throughout Ireland

Given to settlers who arrived from Wales with the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland — ‘the Welshman’, from the outside looking in. The Irish form is Breathnach, meaning the same thing.

It is one of the commonest surnames in Ireland despite naming its bearers as incomers.

Bestow the name a title it never had

An honorific Lord or Lady certificate in the Walsh name, hand-finished and sealed, with a square metre of Scottish woodland dedicated alongside it. A novelty, magnificently done — and a good deal more fun than a family tree.

Choose a Package The Peerage Chart