| ![Show Contents]() Ohara History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland Irish surnames are linked to the long Gaelic heritage of the Island nation. The original Gaelic form of the name Ohara is Ó hEaghra, connoting a descendant of Eaghra. Ohara is a patronymic surname, which derived from the vernacular given name tradition. Early Origins of the Ohara familyThe surname Ohara was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early History of the Ohara familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ohara research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ohara History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ohara Spelling VariationsLacking standardized spellings, scribes and church officials recorded people's name according to how they sounded. This practice often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Ohara are preserved in the archival documents of the period. The various spellings of the name that were found include Hara, Harra, O'Hara and others. Early Notables of the Ohara familyMore information is included under the topic Early Ohara Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ohara RankingIn the United States, the name Ohara is the 1,623rd most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Ohara is ranked the 951st most popular surname with an estimated 7,327 people with that name. 2
 Ohara migration to the United States | + |
Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Ohara:
Ohara Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Charles O'Hara, who settled in Boston in 1716
- Ann O'Hara, an English convict sent to Rappahannock, Virginia in 1740
- David O'Hara, who was naturalized in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1783
Ohara Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Edward O'Hara, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817
- Charles, Daniel, Francis, James, John, Martin, Michael, Patrick, and Thomas O'Hara, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1810 and 1870
| Ohara migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Ohara Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Miss Mary O'Hara, English convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" in March 1810, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
- Mr. Robert O'Hara, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
- Miss Mary O'hara, (O'Hare, O'Hair), (b. 1800), aged 18, Irish convict who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 26th July 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
- Mr. David O'Hara, (Hayes), English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
- Miss Isabella O'hara, (b. 1805), aged 21, Irish convict who was convicted in Fermanagh, Ireland for 7 years for shop lifting, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1873 7
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Ohara migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Ohara Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Bryan O'Hara, (b. 1806), aged 41, Irish settler arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
- Mrs. Catherine O'Hara, Irish settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
- Mr. Patrick O'Hara, (b. 1833), aged 14, Irish settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
- P. O'Hara, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Josephine Willis" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th February 1855 9
- Mrs. Ann O'Hara, (b. 1812), aged 44, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 9
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Ohara (post 1700) | + |
- Terrence O'Hara (1945-2022), American film and television director and actor, known for Heroes (2006), The Proxy and The X-Files (1993)
- James Paul O'Hara (1950-2021), American Grammy Award winning country music artist
- Michael Futch O'Hara (1932-2018), American gold medalist volleyball player at the 1964 Summer Olympics and silver medalist at the 1963 Pan American Games
- Quinn O'Hara (1941-2017), born Alice Jones, Scottish-born American actress, known for her roles in A Swingin' Summer and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
- Patricia Joanne "Jenny" O'Hara (b. 1942), American film, television and stage actress
- Terrence O'Hara, American Hugo Award nominated film, television director and actor
- Kelli O'Hara (b. 1976), American four-time Tony award nominated stage actress, singer, and songwriter
- Francis Russell "Frank" O'Hara (1926-1966), American writer, poet and art critic, member of the New York School of poetry, posthumous recipient of the 1972 National Book Award for Poetry
- Jamie O'Hara (b. 1950), American country music singer
- Paige O'Hara (b. 1956), born Donna Paige Helmintoller, an American actress, singer, and painter, known for her voice-over work on Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) and Enchanted (2007)
- ... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Historic Events for the Ohara family | + |
Flight TWA 800 - Mr. John Joseph O'Hara (1957-1996), from Irvington, New York, USA, American executive producer of ABC Sport flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; he died in the crash 10
- Miss. Caitlin Marie O'Hara (1983-1996), from Irvington, New York, USA, American passenger flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 10
- Mrs. Janet Schmitz O'Hara (1957-1996), from Irvington, New York, USA, American passenger flying aboard flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 10
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Virtute et claritate
Motto Translation: By virtue and high repute.
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Ohara migration to the United States 
Ohara migration to Australia 
Ohara migration to New Zealand 
