Kavanagh (surname) Kavanagh (surname) Kavanagh or Kavanaugh is a surname of Irish origin, Caomhánach in Irish Gaelic. It is properly "Mac Murchadha Caomhánach" (an example of an Irish agnomen; see "Ó Catharnaigh Sionnach" or Fox of Fir Teathbha), but is often now rendered 'Caomhánach' or rarely 'Ó Caomhánaigh'. "Kavanagh" and "Kavanaugh" are anglicised variations of the Irish Gaelic surname Caomhánach (Cʌoṁʌ̃nʌċ in traditional Gaelic script). The surname was first assumed by Domhnall Caomhánach (the eldest son of the 12th century King of Leinster, Diarmait Mac Murchada) in Ireland. A considerable number of anglicised variations of Caomhánach exist, with some of the most
Moran (surname) 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. Moran (surname) Moran () is a modern Irish surname and derived from membership of a medieval dynastic sept. The name means a descendent of "Mórán". “Mor” in Gaelic translates as big or great and “an” as the prefix the.