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Moran (surname)

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This article is about the Irish surname and sept. For other uses, see Moran (disambiguation).
Moran
Origin
Meaning"descendent of great one"
Region of originIreland
Other names
Related namesÓ Móráin

Moran (Irish: Ó Móráin) is a modern Irish surname and derived from member ship of a medieval dynastic sept. The name means a descendent of Mórán, translated as Great One. Morans were a respected sept of the Uí Fiachrach dynasty in the western counties of Mayo and Sligo. In Ireland, where the name descended from the Gaelic, it is generally pronounced (phonetically) "more-in", an anglicized approximate of the Irish pronunciation. Elsewhere, pronunciation follows the French surname, Mo rant, anglicized to (phonetically) "more-anne".[1]

The majority bearers of this surname in Co. Mayo are descended from the Ó Móráin sept whose ancient kingdom was in north Mayo, surrounding the modern town of Ballina. Following the Norman invasion their territory was usurped by the Barretts and Burkes and the sept lost its central organisation. The modern distribution of the surname within Mayo suggests that the Morans spread southwards and today are chiefly found in the central area of the county, particularly in the barony of Carra.

People named Moran

People commonly known as Moran include: 

   Stuart Moran, a Welsh PhD student

References

  1. ^ Etymology of Last Names
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