surnames.ie

Irish surname · 52nd most common in 1911

Healy

Also spelt Healey, O'Healy

Healy is the English form of two Gaelic surnames, Ó hÉilidhe and Ó hÉaluighthe, both traced by Woulfe to the personal name Ealadhach, 'ingenious'. One family held lands around Lough Arrow and Ballinafad in Co. Sligo; the other were proprietors of Donaghmore in Muskerry, Co. Cork.

Irish Ó hÉilidheIrish Ó hÉaluightheIrish Ó hEaladhaigh, Ó hEalaidhe
1901 census
10,789
#53 · 24 per 10,000
1911 census
10,895
#52 · 25 per 10,000
1926 census
10,638
#34 · 36 per 10,000
Most numerous
Cork
Highest share: Sligo

Language & meaning

Meaning & Irish forms

Gaelic Gaelic Irish: two separate families, in Connacht and Munster, whose different Irish surnames both became Healy in English.[1][2][3]

Ó hÉilidhe
“descendant of Ealadhach”[1][3]
The name of the Sligo family. Woulfe also gives Ó hÉilighe and notes that the name was sometimes pronounced Ó hEalaidhe or Ó hEaladhaigh.
Ó hÉaluighthe
“descendant of Ealadhach”[2][3]
The name of the Cork family; Wikipedia spells it Ó hÉalaighthe. Woulfe was sure it was originally Ó hEaladhaigh.
Ó hEaladhaigh, Ó hEalaidhe
“older forms”[4]
Woulfe uses these only as cross-references to the two main entries.

The name is built on the personal name Ealadhach, usually explained as “'scientific' or 'ingenious', in Woulfe's gloss”. Woulfe derives both Healy surnames from this one personal name.[1][2]

Pronunciation

Healy: HEE-lee

Place

Where the Healys lived

How common the name was in each county, as a share of the population, in the three surviving full censuses of Ireland. Use the buttons to compare years.

Donegal: 3 per 10,000 (51 people) Waterford: 28.7 per 10,000 (236 people) Dublin: 23.7 per 10,000 (1,140 people) Kilkenny: 35.6 per 10,000 (267 people) Carlow: 19.3 per 10,000 (70 people) Limerick: 35.4 per 10,000 (508 people) Louth: 18.7 per 10,000 (118 people) Tipperary: 26.1 per 10,000 (398 people) Roscommon: 46.5 per 10,000 (437 people) Meath: 27.9 per 10,000 (182 people) Wicklow: 41.4 per 10,000 (252 people) Cavan: 1.5 per 10,000 (14 people) Cork: 65.3 per 10,000 (2,568 people) Clare: 25.1 per 10,000 (262 people) Galway: 37.8 per 10,000 (690 people) Mayo: 41.8 per 10,000 (803 people) Sligo: 82 per 10,000 (649 people) Leitrim: 29.3 per 10,000 (185 people) Offaly: 15.8 per 10,000 (90 people) Laois: 4.2 per 10,000 (23 people) Kildare: 17.8 per 10,000 (119 people) Kerry: 81.6 per 10,000 (1,305 people) Monaghan: 0.8 per 10,000 (6 people) Wexford: 7.8 per 10,000 (80 people) Longford: 20.1 per 10,000 (88 people) Westmeath: 6.1 per 10,000 (37 people) Tyrone: 3.4 per 10,000 (48 people) Antrim: 2.5 per 10,000 (118 people) Armagh: 3 per 10,000 (36 people) Fermanagh: 5.4 per 10,000 (33 people) Londonderry: 2.2 per 10,000 (31 people) Down: 1.7 per 10,000 (51 people)
fewerup to 89 per 10,000

Share of each county's census population. 1926 covers the 26 counties of the Irish Free State only.

Highest concentration · 1911

Sligo

82 per 10,000

649 Healys · 3.3× the national share

Highest share, 1911

  1. Sligo 82
  2. Kerry 82
  3. Cork 65
  4. Roscommon 47
  5. Mayo 42
  6. Wicklow 41
  7. Galway 38
  8. Kilkenny 36

Per 10,000 residents. A concentration index above 1 means the name was commoner there than nationally.

County figures as a table
County190119111926Per 10k 1901Per 10k 1911Per 10k 1926
Antrim113118—33—
Armagh4336—33—
Carlow627069171920
Cavan231425223
Clare301262262272528
Cork2,6722,5682,622676572
Donegal415145233
Down5951—22—
Dublin9871,1401,250232425
Fermanagh3133—55—
Galway724690683383840
Kerry1,2951,3051,215788282
Kildare11711993191816
Kilkenny271267327363646
Laois282327545
Leitrim153185176222931
Limerick488508500333536
Londonderry2431—22—
Longford948870202018
Louth120118164181926
Mayo744803785384246
Meath153182180222829
Monaghan7612112
Offaly839089141617
Roscommon481437375484745
Sligo632649633798289
Tipperary386398396242628
Tyrone4848—33—
Waterford250236216292928
Westmeath3637676612
Wexford708078788
Wicklow253252279424149

Local strongholds in 1911

District Electoral Divisions (300+ residents) where Healys made up the largest share of the population. In Barrooskey, Co. Mayo, about one resident in 6 was a Healy.

DEDCountyHealysShare
BarrooskeyMayo61 16.0%
Belderg MoreMayo65 11.7%
KilgarvanKerry159 11.6%
GlenamoyMayo45 10.2%
GlanmoreKerry65 8.2%
KilmoreRoscommon51 8.0%
GowlaneCork79 7.0%
BrewsterfieldKerry42 6.8%

Origins

Septs & territories

Many Irish surnames were adopted independently by unrelated families. These are the distinct Healy lineages described in the sources.

A surname can point you towards a place. On its own, it cannot establish a pedigree.

Ó hÉilidhe of Lough Arrow

the Curlews, Ballinafad and the western shore of Lough Arrow · Sligo

A Sligo family whose chief seat was Baile Uí Éilidhe, anglicised Ballyhely, in what later became the demesne of Hollybrooke. Woulfe says the O'Helys were still counted among the gentry of Co. Sligo until the Cromwellian period.[1]

Ó hÉaluighthe of Donaghmore

Donaghmore, in the barony of Muskerry · Cork

An old Cork family who, Woulfe reports on the authority of a 'Dr. O'Brien', were proprietors of Donaghmore in Muskerry. He found them still numerous in Co. Cork in his own day.[2]

The name over time

History

Two names, one spelling

Healy brings together two Irish surnames from different provinces. In Connacht it represents Ó hÉilidhe, the name of a Sligo family; in Munster it usually stands for Ó hÉaluighthe, a Cork family. Woulfe derived both from the same personal name, Ealadhach, which he glossed as 'scientific' or 'ingenious', and noted that each was pronounced in several ways, with forms such as Ó hEaladhaigh and Ó hEalaidhe. Wikipedia likewise describes Healy as the English form adopted by two clans, one in Connacht and one in Munster, although it flags that statement as needing a citation.[1][2][4][3]

The O'Helys of Lough Arrow

The Sligo family held the Curlew hills, Ballinafad and the country along the western shore of Lough Arrow, in the south of the county. Their principal residence was Baile Uí Éilidhe, which appears in English as Ballyhely, within what Woulfe knew as the demesne of Hollybrooke. Woulfe records that the O'Helys kept their place among the gentry of Co. Sligo until the Cromwellian period. By the 16th century, he adds, the name had spread widely through Connacht and Leinster.[1]

Archbishop Healy of Tuam

Woulfe singles out John Healy, Archbishop of Tuam, who had died a few years before Woulfe's book appeared, as a member of the Sligo family. Wikipedia records that Healy was born in 1841 at Ballinafad, the village overlooking Lough Arrow in the old O'Hely country, and grew up there. He served as Bishop of Clonfert before becoming Archbishop of Tuam in 1903, a post he held until his death in 1918.[1][5][6]

The Cork Healys

In Munster the name is chiefly from Ó hÉaluighthe. Woulfe describes this as an ancient family who held Donaghmore in the barony of Muskerry, Co. Cork, citing a 'Dr. O'Brien' as his authority, and notes that they were still numerous in that county. He also remarks that the Connacht form Ó hÉilidhe was quite common in Munster, so the two names overlap there and a Munster Healy family could descend from either. Older English spellings recorded for the Cork name include O Healihie, O Heally, Hely and Hayles.[2][1]

Places linked to the name

  • Ballinafad, Co. Sligo — Part of the O'Hely territory and birthplace of Archbishop John Healy.[1][6][5]
  • Lough Arrow, Co. Sligo — The O'Helys held the district along its western shore.[1][6]
  • Ballyhely (Hollybrooke) (Baile Uí Éilidhe), Co. Sligo — Chief residence of the O'Helys, later within the Hollybrooke demesne.[1]
  • The Curlews, Co. Sligo — Hill country included in the O'Hely lands.[1]
  • Donaghmore, Co. Cork — In the barony of Muskerry; held by the Ó hÉaluighthe family, according to Woulfe.[2]

Everyday lives

The Healys in the census

Who the Healys were in the 1901 and 1911 censuses (and 1926 where recorded), set against everyone in Ireland in the same census.

Healys All of Ireland Ireland's figure marked on the Healy bar

Religion, 1911

Catholic +25.1 points vs Ireland
Healys 98.7%
All of Ireland 73.6%
Church of Ireland −12.4 points vs Ireland
Healys 0.8%
All of Ireland 13.2%
Presbyterian −9.8 points vs Ireland
Healys 0.3%
All of Ireland 10.1%
Methodist & other −2.9 points vs Ireland
Healys 0.2%
All of Ireland 3.1%

Irish language

Spoke Irish, 1901 +11.7 points vs Ireland
Healys 27.0%
All of Ireland 15.3%
Spoke Irish, 1911 +9.5 points vs Ireland
Healys 23.0%
All of Ireland 13.5%
Spoke Irish, 1926 · 26 counties +2.2 points vs Ireland
Healys 15.7%
All of Ireland 13.5%

69 Healys spoke Irish only in 1901.

Reading & writing

Could read and write, 1901 · aged 15+ −1.3 points vs Ireland
Healys 79.1%
All of Ireland 80.4%
Could read and write, 1911 · aged 15+ −0.5 points vs Ireland
Healys 85.3%
All of Ireland 85.8%

Family life, 1911

Household size · 2,160 households higher than Ireland
Healys 5.05
All of Ireland 4.83
Children born per mother · women 45–59 higher than Ireland
Healys 6.79
All of Ireland 6.46
Children still living +3.1 points vs Ireland
Healys 82.9%
All of Ireland 79.8%

Commonest occupations

Adults aged 15+, 1901 and 1911 combined.

Farmer2,063
Farmer's son1,112
Farmer's daughter588
General labourer383
Agricultural labourer361
Farm servant308
Labourer279
House keeper222
Farm labourer217
Domestic servant201

Born outside Ireland

0.9% of Healys in 1911 gave a birthplace outside Ireland.

England43
United States24
Scotland14
Australia & NZ8
India4
Wales2

Median age: 23 in 1901, 25 in 1911.

Given names

First names among the Healys

Men and boys

  1. John2,506
  2. Patrick1,879
  3. Michael1,533
  4. Thomas1,194
  5. James1,184
  6. William595
  7. Daniel582
  8. Denis490
  9. Timothy340
  10. Martin326

Women and girls

  1. Mary2,786
  2. Bridget1,280
  3. Margaret1,006
  4. Ellen776
  5. Kate640
  6. Catherine637
  7. Annie451
  8. Julia433
  9. Anne407
  10. Hannah338

All three censuses combined. Top five in 1926: John, Patrick, Michael, Thomas, James; Mary, Bridget, Margaret, Ellen, Kate.

Spellings

Spellings

This page combines the spellings below, which census enumerators and families used for the same name.

Spelling190119111926Records
Healy10,46610,51310,298Search
Healey322381335Search
O'Healy115Search

Related forms

  • O'Healy — The form keeping the Ó prefix, listed by Woulfe for both families.[1][2]
  • Healey — An alternative spelling; Burke lists 'Healy, or Healey' as one entry.[3][7]
  • Hely, O'Hely — Older spellings recorded by Woulfe, used for the Sligo family.[1][2]
  • Heally, Hayles — Further English forms of the Cork name Ó hÉaluighthe given by Woulfe.[2]
  • Haly, O'Haly, Haley — Spellings Wikipedia lists among the variants of Healy.[3]

Diaspora

The Healys abroad

Emigration carried the name worldwide. In the 2010 United States census:

SpellingPeopleUS rank
Healy21,7511654th
Healey10,3703445th

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file (public domain).

Heraldry

Is there a Healy coat of arms?

There is no single Healy crest. Burke's General Armory lists arms under 'Healy, or Healey', a blue shield with three silver boars' heads arranged one above another, but attaches them to no place or family, so they cannot be linked to either the Sligo or the Cork Healys. His separate entries for Hely and O'Haly are likewise given without a seat. Arms belonged to particular families, and any Healy 'family crest' sold today is not the property of the name as a whole.[7]

Websites selling a single “Healy family crest” are selling a design, not an inheritance. Arms in Ireland belonged to individuals and their heirs, and the Chief Herald of Ireland still grants arms that way today.

People

Notable people named Healy

  • George Peter Alexander Healy (1813–1894)
    American portrait painter.
  • James Augustine Healy (1830–1900)
    Catholic priest and second Bishop of Portland, Maine.
  • Patrick Francis Healy (1834–1910)
    Jesuit who led Georgetown University from 1873 to 1882, the first Black American to earn a PhD.
  • John Healy (1841–1918)
    Bishop of Clonfert and Archbishop of Tuam, born at Ballinafad, Co. Sligo.
  • Tim Healy (1855–1931)
    Bantry-born barrister and nationalist MP, first Governor-General of the Irish Free State.
  • Cahir Healy (1877–1970)
    Irish politician.
  • Cecil Healy (1881–1918)
    Australian swimmer.
  • Shay Healy (1942–2021)
    Irish songwriter, broadcaster and journalist.
  • Bernadine Healy (1944–2011)
    American physician.
  • Dermot Healy (1947–2014)
    Irish novelist and playwright.
  • Ian Healy (born 1964)
    Australian Test cricketer.
  • Cian Healy (born 1987)
    Irish international rugby union player.

Questions

Questions about the Healy name

Is Healy an Irish surname?

Yes. Healy is the English form of two Gaelic surnames: Ó hÉilidhe, borne by a Sligo family who held land around Lough Arrow, and Ó hÉaluighthe, borne by a Cork family who held Donaghmore in Muskerry. Woulfe found the name widely spread in Connacht and Leinster by the 16th century and common in Munster.[1][2]

What is Healy in Irish?

It depends on the family. In Sligo and Connacht the Irish name is Ó hÉilidhe; in Cork and Munster it is usually Ó hÉaluighthe, which Wikipedia spells Ó hÉalaighthe. Woulfe treats Ó hEaladhaigh as the original form behind the Cork name.[1][2][3]

What does Healy mean?

Both Irish forms mean 'descendant of Ealadhach'. Woulfe glosses that personal name as 'scientific' or 'ingenious'. As with most Gaelic surnames, the meaning describes the first name of a distant ancestor rather than anything about the later family, and the Sligo and Cork Healys took their names from different men called Ealadhach.[1][2]

Are Healy and Healey the same name?

Yes. Healey is simply another spelling, and Burke's General Armory treats 'Healy, or Healey' as a single entry. Wikipedia also lists Hely, Haly, Haley, O'Healy and O'Haly among the variants, and Woulfe records older forms such as Hely and Heally.[7][3][1][2]

Where does the Healy name come from?

From two places. The Sligo family lived in the south of that county, around the Curlews, Ballinafad and the western shore of Lough Arrow, with their seat at Ballyhely. The Cork family were associated with Donaghmore in the barony of Muskerry. A Healy family's county is usually the best clue to which line it belongs to.[1][2]

Is there a Healy family crest or coat of arms?

No single crest belongs to the name. Burke lists arms for 'Healy, or Healey', with three boars' heads on a blue shield, but gives no family or place for them, so they cannot be tied to either Irish sept. Arms were granted to individual families, not to everyone with a surname.[7]

Where in Ireland is the Healy surname most common?

In the 1911 census the largest numbers of Healys lived in Cork (2,568), Kerry (1,305), Dublin (1,140). Relative to population, the name was most concentrated in Sligo (82 per 10,000), Kerry (82 per 10,000), Cork (65 per 10,000).

How common was the Healy surname in Ireland?

10,895 people were recorded as Healy or Healey or O'Healy in the 1911 census of Ireland, making it the 52nd most common surname. That is roughly 0.2% of the population, or 1 person in 403.

Looking for a Healy ancestor?

Search every Healy household in the 1901, 1911 and 1926 censuses, with free images of the original forms.

Search records on irishcensus.com

Evidence

Sources

  1. Patrick Woulfe, Ó hÉilidhe, in Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
  2. Patrick Woulfe, Ó hÉaluighthe, in Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
  3. Wikipedia, Healy (surname) (2026)
  4. Patrick Woulfe, Ó hEaladhaigh, in Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
  5. Wikipedia, John Healy (bishop) (2026)
  6. Wikipedia, Ballinafad (2026)
  7. Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales (1884). Entries 'Healy, or Healey', 'Hely, or Helly', 'Hely' and 'O'Haly'.
  8. Census of Ireland 1901 and 1911, and Census of Population 1926, National Archives of Ireland. Counts compiled by surnames.ie from the irishcensus.com transcription (dataset 20260831130351). 1926 data © National Archives of Ireland, CC BY 4.0.
  9. Irish forms cross-checked against Gaois surname data (Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, DCU).

How we compile these figures: methodology.