Show ContentsOmar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Omar has undergone many variations in the time that has passed since its genesis. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Meadhra, which is derived from the word meadhar, which means merry. [1]

Early Origins of the Omar family

The surname Omar was first found in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

"The O'Mearas had an extensive territory in the Barony of Upper Ormond, County Tipperary, in which O'Meara was a Chief. The name of their principal residence, Tuam-ui-Meara, is still retained in the town of Toomyvara. The Mearas or O'Mearas are still numerous in that locality." [2]

Early History of the Omar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Omar research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1614, 1619, 1681 and 1818 are included under the topic Early Omar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Omar Spelling Variations

One explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Omar were found in the many archives researched. These included Meara, O'Mara, Mar, O'Meara and others.

Early Notables of the Omar family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was Dermod O'Meara, an Irish physician and poet, author of the first medical work printed in Dublin in 1619; Edmund...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Omar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Omar Ranking

In the United States, the name Omar is the 11,175th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]


United States Omar 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 Omar:

Omar Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Ale Benn Omar, aged 35, who settled in America from Gibraltar, in 1904
  • Cassam Omar, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1917

Contemporary Notables of the name Omar (post 1700) +

  • Gonzalo Omar Basile (b. 1974), Argentine professional boxer
  • Gustavo Omar Trujillo Corona (1977-2022), Mexican professional footballer who played as a defender (1998-2012)
  • Gabriel Omar Briceño Leyva (b. 1978), Mexican football defender
  • John Omar Muotka, American politician, Representative from Michigan 19th District, 1976; American Independent Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1976 [4]
  • Quincy Omar Monk (1979-2015), American NFL football linebacker who played from 2002 to 2004
  • Alexander Omar Hinshaw (b. 1982), American Major League Baseball player
  • José Omar Acevedo (b. 1977), Dominican Republic retired right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Clair Omar Musser (1901-1998), American marimba virtuoso, designer, and composer who developed the Musser grip
  • Carlos Omar Cotto Cruz (b. 1980), Puerto Rican professional wrestler
  • Israel Omar Crespo (1986-2007), Puerto Rican professional boxer


The Omar Motto +

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: Opima spolia
Motto Translation: The spoils of honour.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. Matheson, Robert E., Special Report on Surnames in Ireland with Notes as to Numeric Strength, Derivation, Ethnology, and Distribution. Dublin: Alexander Thom & Co., 1894. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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