There are plenty of Irish first names people struggle to pronounce, but what about the surnames that always get it wrong?
Irish names are known the world over for being difficult to pronounce for those outside of the country (and even many in it).
How many times have you heard an Irish celebrity’s name being butchered in an interview? (we’re looking at you, Cillian Murphy).
The first names are probably the worst for tripping people up, because sometimes you can get away with avoiding addressing someone with their surname, but what about the Irish surnames people always get wrong?
People known Murphy, Ryan, Kelly, and Sullivan no problem, but let’s take a look at the more difficult to pronounce Irish surnames getting people tongue tied around the world.
10. Keogh/Keoghan – causing controversy
Barry Keoghan isn’t going to like this one, because he actually pronounces his surname one of the “wrong” ways. Keogh would be pronounced ‘kee-oh’, while Keoghan should be pronounced ‘kee-oh-an’, but said very quickly, so it’s pronounced more like ‘keyohan’.
These names are often mispronounced with some people pronouncing the ‘g’ as if it’s a hard, heard sound in the name. Some Keoghan’s get Keegan.
However, some Keoghan’s, like Barry Keoghan, actually do pronounce the ‘g’ in the name, so bring your issues up with him and his spreading of misinformation (just kidding, Barry).
9. O’Shaughnessy – commonly found in Galway and Limerick
The ‘gh’ tripping people up is going to be a common theme when it comes to Irish surnames. The name is found primarily in County Galway and County Limerick.
The name derives from Seachnasach mac Donnchadh, a 10th-century member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne, a kingdom that was located in what is now the south of County Galway. This name is pronounced ‘oh-shaw-na-see’.
8. Coughlan – many variations
This name trips many people up, because even in Ireland, different people pronounce this surname differently. The most heard version of the pronunciation is ‘cock-lan’.
However, there is also pronunciation which omits the ‘gh’, becoming ‘caw-lan’, as well as others pronouncing it ‘coff-lan’.
7. MacAleese – like our former President
To people in Ireland, this name is a no-brainer. However, present this name to an American, and you can add it to the list of Irish names Americans never get right.
One notable Irish person with this surname is Mary MacAleese, the second-ever female President of Ireland. Many people look at the name and not only pronounce it wrong, but put the emphasis in all the wrong places. This surname is pronounced ‘mac-ah-leese’.
6. Doherty – the mispronunciation has become the way many families actually say it
Like many Irish surnames, the “correct” way to spell them has been lost along the way. The incorrect way, technically, to pronounce this Irish surname would be ‘dock-her-ty’, but in fact, many Doherty’s around Ireland actually do pronounce it that way.
The “correct” way to say the name would be ‘doh-her-ty’ or ‘daw-her-ty’.
5. Donoghue/ O’Donoghue – don’t pronounce the ‘g’
This one, again, for local Irish people is no trouble at all. However, for people looking at this name for the first time, it causes some issues.
Incorrectly, people will pronounce a hard ‘g’ in the middle of the name, but it is actually pronounced ‘don-uh-hue’ or ‘oh-don-uh-hue’.
4. Sheehan – trickier than you might think
It’s really not that difficult, but you’d be surprised how many times we’ve heard Robert Sheehan being called Robert Sheen. This Irish surname is pronounced ‘she-han’.
3. Moloughney – people never get it right
People often assume that this is just another spelling of the surname Moloney and so pronounce it the same way. In fact, this Irish surname should be pronounced ‘mo-lock-nee’.
2. O’Dwyer – not as difficult as it might look
It might look complicated because of the first three consonants in a row, so this Irish surname actually gets unnecessarily complicated when it isn’t. ‘oh-dwy-er’ is how it’s pronounced, you just need to make sure you’re not elongating the ‘dwy’ as it’s said very quickly.
One of the most notable Irish people with this name is Mick O’Dwyer, the legendary Gaelic football player and manager from County Kerry.
1. Hahessy – a rare Irish surname
This isn’t an Irish surname you hear too often anymore. The name derived from the Irish Ó hAitheasa and is pronounced ‘ha-heh-see’. The fact that it’s not a common Irish surnames means people get a bit tongue tied when they first see it.
