Surnames from Dublin 1468-1493

by Sara L. Uckelman (Aryanhwy merch Catmael)

© 2004, 2006 Sara L. Uckelman; all rights reserved
last updated 18Aug06

The surnames found in this article are from the Dublin city franchise roll, 1468-1512, ed. Colm Lennon and James Murray (Dublin: Dublin Corporation, 1998). This source is a collection of documents in Latin and English; while the editors unfortunately modernized all the given names, "the spelling of the surname in this edition is identical to the spelling given in the roll" (xxix). I have collected the surnames and ordered them by frequency.

The men and women in these rolls were all being admitted as free citizens of Dublin. Most were apprentices to a citizen; some married citizens and were thus eligible for citizenship; and some were children of gentry. A person could also become eligible to be a free citizen by paying a certain fee. The men and women in these documents were by and large English; in fact, one man who was made a citizen later had his citizenship struck out because he was "of the Irish nation". However, there are a couple of surnames which are clearly anglicizations of Gaelic bynames; I have marked these, and, when known, offered the standard Gaelic form for this time.

Roughly 32 citizens were entered each year for the 44 year period covered, for a total of 1424 people; the free citizens made up a small minority of the population, which at this time was 6,000 to 8,000 (xv). At this times, surnames were by and large inherited (passed down from father to child), but women did not generally take their husband's surname upon marriage.

SurnameNumberDatesNotes
Abyllgarde11480
Ailmer41471, 1474 (2), 1479
Aisshe11478
Alleyn21471, 1477
Andow11485
Ap David11462Welsh 'son of David'
Archbolde11478
Archebold11478
Archebolde51469 (2), 1476, 1477, 1480
Archedekyn11470
Ardan21477, 1485
Arland21481, 1487
Armester11474
Arthur11476
Arthure21479, 1485
Austeyn21475, 1483
Aysshe11482
Backester11483
Bagan11485
Bailiff11488
Bailliffs11482
Bakester11487
Baldewyn21469, 1475
Barby51469, 1478 (2), 1483, 1487
Bardor41469, 1474, 1483, 1485
Baron11468
Barret21472, 1481
Barry71477 (3), 1479, 1483 (2), 1489
Bateman21474 (2)
Bathe21483, 1486
Baylyff11482
Begge21469, 1489
Begget11469
Beke11482
Bellew31468, 1469 (2)
Bellewe11481
Bene11478
Benet11484
Bennet51468, 1469 (3), 1471
Beon41472, 1473, 1483, 1484
Berford11482
Berforde21474, 1481
Bermingham11482
Bermyngham111471, 1473, 1479 (2), 1482, 1484, 1486, 1487, 1488, 1489 (2)