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Carey Family of Guernsey

Carey Irish Genealogy

The Origins of the Carey Families of Ireland
by Patrick G Carey

Generally regarded as stemming from Ó Ciardha and also from, Ó Ciaráin/O Céirin/Ó Cearáin, O Carráin, MacFhiachra, Mac Fhearadaigh and Mac Giolla Céire, CAREY is widespread and very numerous in Ireland, and present, through immigration, in considerable numbers in British cities such as Glasgow and Manchester, as well as in the U.S.A.

The two major authoriities on Irish surnames are Patrick Woulfe (Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall, Dublin 1923) and Edward MacLysaght (The Surnames of Ireland, Dublin 1985, Irish Families 1985 and More Irish Families 1982)

MacLysaght's The Surnames of Ireland  says that Carey is 'used as the anglicised form of seven Gaelic Irish surnames, Ó Ciardha, MacFhiachra etc (see MacCary, Crean, Currane, Keary, Kerin, Kerrane, Keighry); also as a synonym of the Norman Carew'.

MacLysaght's Irish Families series is comprehensive.  In Irish Families he gives Ó Ciardha as the origin, along with MacFhiachra, as well as Ó Céirín in Mayo and Ó Ciaráin in Co. Cork. To these he adds Mac Giolla Céire.  His comments under Carey in More Irish Families  were his latest thoughts on the subject, as he stated in a letter to me during correspondance.  I quote from that book: 'In Irish Families the Gaelic surname Mac Fhiachra is described as nearly extinct. This is true so far as its earlier and phonetic anglicisations- Keaghry, Keighry and Kehery are concerned... though they are not unknown in east Galway and the neighbourhood of Athlone.  It would appear, however, that the Co. Galway sept of Mac Fhiachra does survive in considerable numbers, but under the alias of Carey. At the same time it must be remembered that Carey has been adopted as the anglicised form of several other Irish surnames; to those given in Irish Families the Norman name Carew may be added, which in fact is often pronounced Carey by the people bearing it. The majority of the numerous families called Carey belong to the Ó Ciardha sept of the southern Uí Néill, originally located in south Ulster and north Leinster, not to that of Mac Fhiachra.' More Irish Families (1982) p50

Woulfe is interesting in that he relates different origins of Carey to specific areas in Ireland.  O Ciardha: Kildare, Westmeath, Meath, Clare, East Limerick, North East Cork, South West Tipperary, West Galway. Mac Fhiachra: some parts of Galway. Carrún (Carew): Munster (this Norman name is, however, misleading for Cos Tipperary and Waterford where it is often preceded by Gaelic forenames in 17th century records; Norman families would not have used native forenames in this period. The subject of Carew is discussed on page2). Ó Carráin, Ó Corráin: some parts of Munster. Ó Ciaráin, Ó Cearáin, Ó Cioráin: South Mayo, West Mayo; Ó Céirín:  some parts of Ireland. Ó Ciarmhacháin: West Cork.

Contact me for research into your family name by sending an email to patrick@careyirish.com

** Let it not be assumed that the above arms are officially recorded as those borne by Irish Careys, only that they have been associated with Irish Careys in the works cited.  There are no arms officially recorded for  Carey, Keary, Ceary, O'Keary, O Ciardha &c, in the Ulster's Office, now known as the Genealogical Office, Dublin.