THE O MAHONY SOCIETY

O MAHONY SURNAME DERIVATION WITH VARIANT SPELLINGS

O Mathghamhna (derived from the given name Mathghamhnain ~1107)

O Mathamhna (occasional early variant)

O Mahunus (early Latin form in the medieval period, first non-Gaelic variant)

O Mahon (Norman French or maybe an anglicization, most common form to ~1600, variants in the 1500s: Mahunde, Mahound, Maghound, Maghon, Mahoni, Mahone, Mahonie Mahowney, Mahowne, Mahowneye, Mahoone; also Ma[t]thew[s] used as attempted anglicization 1500s-1600s)

O Mathuna (modern Gaelic form with variant Mhathuna)

O Mahony (1600+; variants in USA of Mahoney, Mehaney, Mahny, Mahan, Mahn, Mahoon, Mahoune; additional variants on the continent of Mahanie, Mahono, Mahun, Mahuni, Mahuno, Maoni, Mauna, de Mahony)

Greater surname changes occurred in Ireland with a family of O Mathuna Ban anglicized to White, some Kearneys of West Cork may have been originally O Mathuna Ceithearnaigh, and a branch of O Mathuna became Canniffe.

For more information, see article “FORMS OF THE NAME” by Padraig O Mathuna, The O Mahony Journal, Vol. 14, 1990, pp. 23-25.

Home