Show ContentsLaverty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Laverty originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Flaithbheartaigh," which means "bright ruler."

Early Origins of the Laverty family

The surname Laverty was first found in Connemara (Irish : Conamara), which derives from Conmhaicne Mara (meaning: descendants of Con Mhac, of the sea)), County Galway in Connacht where the name claims descent from Flaithbertaigh Ua Flaithbertaigh, King of Connacht, who died 1098. Flaithbertaigh was the first bearer of the surname O'Flaherty, and was Lord of Maigh Seola in what is now County Galway. 1

"The O'Flahertys were originally located in the Barony of Clare, County Galway, but in the thirteenth century, having been expelled from this territory, they settled in the Barony of Moycullen, and were styled Lords of lar Conacht or West Connaught. A large number of the Flahertys are now to be found in the Baronies of Moycullen, Ross, and Ballinahinch, in County Galway." 2

Another source gives this background about the family: "This family, whose tribe name was Muintir Murchadha, traced their descent from Flaibheartach, twenty-second in descent from Eochaidh Muighmeadhon, king of Ireland, who died in 366. They were at first settled in Magh Seola, to the east of Lough Corrib, but in the thirteenth century were driven from their original home by the O'Connors, and conquered a new territory in West Connaught from Lough Corrib to the sea. There were several septs of the clan." 3

Early History of the Laverty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Laverty research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1407, 1589, 1593, 1629 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Laverty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laverty Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Laverty family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Flaherty, O'Flaherty, Flaverty, Laverty, Faherty and many more.

Early Notables of the Laverty family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Áedh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, (c. 1377?-1407), Taoiseach of Iar Connacht and Chief of the Name; Murrough na dTuadh Ó Flaithbheartaigh, (died 1593), Chief of Iar Connacht; Teige Ó Flaithbheartaigh (died 1589), an...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Laverty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laverty Ranking

In the United States, the name Laverty is the 9,314th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4


United States Laverty migration to the United States +

The 18th century saw the slow yet steady emigration of Irish families to British North America and the United States. Those early Irish settlers that left their homeland were typically moderately well off: they were enticed by the promise of a sizable plot of land. However, by the 1840s, this pattern of immigration was gone: immigrants to North America were seeking refuge from the starvation and disease that the Great Potato Famine of that decade brought. The great numbers of Irish that arrived to the United States and the soon to be Canada were instrumental in their quick development as powerful industrial nations. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists uncovered many early immigrants bearing the name Laverty:

Laverty Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Eliza Laverty, aged 20, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 5
  • Hugh Laverty, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 5
  • Jane Laverty, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 5
  • James Laverty, aged 40, who arrived in South Carolina in 1812 5
  • James Laverty, who landed in New York in 1823 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Laverty migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Laverty Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Laverty, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 20th May 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Mr. James Laverty, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Edward Laverty, a pianoforte-maker, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Mr. John Laverty, (James, Murray), (b. 1796), aged 40, Irish farm servant who was convicted in Ireland for life for theft, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 5th July 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Miss Anne Laverty, (b. 1813), aged 24, Irish maid who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9

New Zealand Laverty 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:

Laverty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Elizabeth Laverty, aged 22, a housemaid, who arrived in Napier aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879

Contemporary Notables of the name Laverty (post 1700) +

  • Randy Laverty, American member of the Arkansas Senate
  • P. H. Laverty, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1876 10
  • Maura Laverty (1907-1966), Irish author, journalist and broadcaster
  • Mrs. Helen Margaret Laverty M.B.E., British Professional Lead for Learning Disability nursing at the University of Nottingham, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Nursing especially People and Families with Learning Disabilities 11
  • Shannon Laverty, Canadian stand-up comedian
  • Dr Colin Robert Laverty (b. 1937), Australian medical practitioner
  • Paul Laverty (b. 1957), Scottish lawyer and scriptwriter
  • Eugene Laverty (b. 1986), British professional motorcycle road racer


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  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. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
  7. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  11. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 4 July 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1


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