Corcoran (surname)
Pronunciation | /ˈkɔːxrən/ KAWKH-rən |
---|---|
Language(s) | Irish Gaelic |
Origin | |
Meaning | Anglicisation of 'Ó Corcráin', which is taken from 'corcair' meaning "crimson" |
Region of origin | Ireland |
Other names | |
Related names | Cochrane, Coughran, MacCorcoran |
Corcoran is an Irish surname. The original Gaelic version being Ó Corcráin meaning "descendant of Corcráin". The name itself is derived from corcair meaning "crimson".[1]
History
The name Corcoran, is an anglicisation of the names of two Gaelic clans. The first was the Ó Corcráin in Ulster. The second was the MacCorcráin clan from Leinster, which was a sept of Ó Corcráin.
Related variations of the name Corcoran historically include MacCorcoran, O'Corcoran, and Corcorran. The Corcorans were predominantly from Fermanagh and included a number of figures of historical importance such as the Bishop of Clogher in 1370 and Edmund O'Corcoran, "the hero of Limerick" (from the siege of 1691).[2]
Many Corcorans become members of the clergy between the tenth and fifteenth centuries, they became based around the vicinity of Lough Erne, County Fermanagh in Ulster. One member of the family, John Corcoran was appointed Bishop of Clogher in 1373.[3]
The O'Corcrain territory was invaded by the Normans in 1170 AD. It was not until 1590 that the Normans gained control over Fermanagh.
During the Plantation of Ulster and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649 AD, the Corcorans were scattered. Many settled on lands in Connaught, Munster and Leinster. Principally Offaly, Tipperary and Galway where the MacCorcorans had settled previously.
Modern
Today the surname is used throughout Ireland and throughout the Irish diaspora.[4]
Notable people with the surname Corcoran
- Ann Corcoran (born 1951), Australian politician
- Annette Corcoran (born 1930), American ceramist
- Barbara Corcoran (born 1949), real estate mogul, entrepreneur, and investor on ABC's "Shark Tank"
- Brian Ó Corcrán (died 1624?), poet
- Brian Corcoran (born 1973), former Irish sportsman
- Cahalan Ó Corcrán (died 1001), Abbot
- Captain Corcoran, Commander of H.M.S. Pinafore in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera
- Danny Corcoran, several people
- [[David Corcoran (aka Wispa Corcoran, Wispa static data legend
- Des Corcoran (1929–2004), Australian politician
- Edmund O'Corcoran (fl. 1691), Irish Confederation soldier
- Éamonn Corcoran (born 1978), former Irish sportsman
- Farrel Corcoran, author and academic
- Felimidh Ó Corcrán (died 1522), Canon lawyer
- Fláithrí Ó Corcrán (died 1496), singer and harpist
- Fred Corcoran (1905–1977), World Golf Hall of Famer
- James Corcoran (1770–1804), Irish rebel
- Jim Corcoran (born 1949), Canadian musician
- Jimmy Corcoran (1819–1900), gangster
- John O Corcoran (died c. 1389), Bishop of Clogher
- John Corcoran, of The Bridge to Literacy: No Child—or Adult—Left Behind
- John Corcoran (logician) (born 1937), American philosopher and logician, University of Buffalo (SUNY)
- Kevin Corcoran (born 1949), American director, producer and former child actor
- Larry Corcoran (1859–1891), American pitcher in Major League Baseball
- Michael Corcoran (1827–1863), American general and close confidant of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War
- Niall Corcoran, Irish sportsman
- Noreen Corcoran (born 1943), American actress
- Thomas E. Corcoran (1838–1904), United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the Medal of Honor
- Thomas Gardiner Corcoran, a member of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's brain trust
- Tim Corcoran (born 1978), American baseball player
- Tommy Corcoran (baseball) (1869–1960), American baseball player
- William Corcoran Eustis (1862–1921), wealthy inhabitant of Washington, D.C. and grandson of William Wilson Corcoran
- William Wilson Corcoran (1798–1888), American banker, philanthropist and art collector
Places with the name Corcoran
Geographical
- Corcoran, California, United States
- Corcoran, Minnesota, United States
- Corcoran, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a neighbourhood in Minneapolis, United States
- Corcoran Woods, 210 acres (0.85 km2) donated by Edward S. Corcoran to the State of Maryland, United States
- Corcoran Lagoon, Santa Cruz, California, United States
Education
- The Corcoran College of Art and Design, art school located in Washington, DC, United States
- Corcoran Departments of History and Philosophy, University of Virginia, United States
- Corcoran Hall, The George Washington University, historic site in Washington, DC, United States
- The Corcoran Memorial Lectures, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Corcoran High School, Syracuse, NY, United States
Other
- The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, United States
- Fort Corcoran in northern Virginia, American Civil War structure
- California State Prison, Corcoran, located in California, United States
See also
References
- ^ "Corkery Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
- ^ Grenham, John: "Clans and Families of Ireland: The Heritage and Heraldry of Irish Clans and Families", Gill & Macmillan Ltd
- ^ http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/27699413?uid=3738232&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21102565605467
- ^ http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Corcoran