Contents [hide]

O'Hare History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

O'Hare History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

The name O'Hare has changed considerably in the time that has passed since its genesis. It originally appeared in Gaelic as Mag Fhearadhaigh, derived from the word "fearadhach," possibly meaning "manly." 1

Early Origins of the O'Hare family

The surname O'Hare was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat from ancient times. 2

Over in Devon, England, "The ' Domesday ' manor of Kari, in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Heath, was the first recorded seat of the Gary family ; and one branch continued to reside there so late as the reign of Elizabeth. As early, however, as the reign of Richard II. it ceased to be their principal home. Sir William Gary then settled at Clovelly, and his brother Sir John, Chief Baron of the Exchequer, acquired, with many other manors, that of Cockington, only to lose them all by deciding for Richard against the Commissioners. His attainder was reversed in favour of his son Robert, who gained the favour of Henry V. by vanquishing an Aragonese knight in Smithfield. Two generations later the family were again in difficulty. Sir William Gary, grandson of Robert, was an ardent Lancastrian ; and one of those who, after the fatal battle of Tewkesbury, took refuge in the Abbey Church. Two days later the refugees were treacherously beheaded. The usual forfeiture followed; but Sir William's eldest son, Robert, obtained restoration from Henry VII. He was the ancestor of the present stock of Devonshire Carys. From his half-brother spring the ennobled Carys, represented by Lord Falkland." 3

Early History of the O'Hare family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Hare research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1585, 1667 and 1668 are included under the topic Early O'Hare History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Hare Spelling Variations

Individual scribes in the Ireland during the Middle Ages would often record a person's name various ways. How the name was recorded depended on what that particular scribe believed the proper spelling for the name pronounced to him was. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the O'Hare family name include Garry, Garrihy, Hare, O'Hare, O'Heihir, MacGarry and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Hare family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Hare Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Hare Ranking

In the United States, the name O'Hare is the 7,008^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

O'Hare migration to the United States +

In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of O'Hare:

O'Hare Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Barbason O'Hare, who arrived in Boston in 1770

O'Hare Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bernard O'Hare, who settled in New York, NY in 1817
Anne O'Hare, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1849

O'Hare migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

O'Hare Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James O'Hare, who settled in Canada in 1817
John O'Hare, aged 27, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Leslie Gault" in 1834

O'Hare migration to Australia +

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

O'Hare Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Felix O'hare, (b. 1787), aged 28, Scottish farmer who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years for obstruction, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1876 5
Mary O'Hare, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" in 1849 6
Mary O'Hare, aged 24, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" 6
Jane O'Hare, aged 22, a housemaid, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Oriental,"
Matthew O'Hare, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "North"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name O'Hare (post 1700) +

Commander Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare (1914-1943), American World War II flying ace who received the Congressional Medal of Honor, eponym of O'Hare airport in Chicago 7
Brigadier-General Joseph James O'Hare (1893-1961), American Assistant to the Assistant Chief of Staff (G-1), War Department General Staff (1946-1947) 8
Michael O'Hare (1952-2012), American actor, best known for playing Commander Jeffrey Sinclair in the science fiction television series Babylon 5
Joseph A. O'Hare (b. 1931), American Jesuit priest, New York City civic leader and editor
Jim O'Hare (b. 1941), American theatrical scenic and costume designer
Kate Richards O'Hare (1877-1948), prominent American Socialist anti-war activist during World War I
Damian O'Hare (b. 1977), American film actor
Edward Butch O'Hare, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 7 aerial victories
Rita O'Hare (1943-2023), née McCulloch, Irish politician in the General Secretary of Sinn Féin, and from 1998 to 2023 the party's representative to the United States
Patrick O'Hare (1849-1917), Irish politician
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the O'Hare family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. Patrick T O'Hare, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 9

The O'Hare 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: Fear garbh ar mait
Motto Translation: Here is a good rough man.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HARRY LORREQUER 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849HarryLorrequer.htm
Edward O'Hare. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Edward O'Hare. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_O%27Hare
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Joseph O'Hare. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/O%27Hare/Joseph_James/USA.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html