O'Moire History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

There are several distinct sources of the O'Moire surname in Ireland. Most of the name find their roots with the Anglo-Norman "Strongbow" invasion of the 12th century. Many of these became de Mora. Others derived from the Old Irish "O Mordha," from the word "mordha," meaning "stately," or "noble." 1 The English surname O'Moire is derived from the personal name "More," which is itself derived from the Old French word "maur," meaning "Moor."

Early Origins of the O'Moire family

The surname O'Moire was first found in Munster, where the name was firmly established shortly after the Strongbow invasion of Ireland in 1172. 1

'Aimergin Ua Mordha, A.D. 1026.' O'Mordha is Anglicised O'More and More, which has now usually become Moore, The O'Mores were a powerful sept in Ireland." 2

"Donal Mór (d. 1194), son of Turlough, was the last King of North Munster. " 3 The Guinness or MacGunness family claim descent from Cionga, son of Rory Mór and had a similar coat of arms complete with a gold lion on a green shield denoting their heritage.

Moore or O'Moore were the hereditary Lords of Leix. Of this branch was Charles O'More who had a younger brother named Rory Oge who in 1587 was slain by the English.

The Moores of Rahinduffe, Queen's County are a branch of this previous family. Of note was Anthony O'Moore who joined with the O'Neills and defeated the English army in 1598. 3

Early History of the O'Moire family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Moire research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1557, 1600, 1620, 1621, 1627, 1641, 1655, 1700, 1703, 1706, 1729, 1730, 1767, 1791, 1795, 1798, 1799 and 1822 are included under the topic Early O'Moire History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Moire Spelling Variations

It was found during an investigation of the origins of the name O'Moire that church officials and medieval scribes often spelled the name as it sounded. This practice lead to a single person's being documented under many spelling variations. The name O'Moire has existed in the various shapes: Moore, More, Moor, O'More, Moores, Mores, McMore, Moire, Moare, MacMoore, McMoir, Moir, Moors, O'Moore, O'Moire, McMoare, MacMoir, MacMoare, Mooer and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Moire family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Rory O'More (d. 1557) and his son Rory Og O'More, who were both Irish leaders in the wars against the English (Tudor) Kings; Rory O'Moore (Roger O'Moore, O'More, Sir Roger Moore) (c.1600-1655), an Irish landowner of ancient lineage, most notable for being one of the four principal organizers of the Irish Rebellion of 1641; Rory "Roger" More...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Moire Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Moire family

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name O'Moire: Miles Moor, who settled in South Carolina in 1716; James Mooers, and his wife Isabel, who came to New Hampshire in 1725; Aaron Moore, who immigrated to Virginia in 1744.

The O'Moire 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: Conlan-a-bu
Motto Translation: Conlan forever.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
Moore, A.W., Manx Names. London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1906. Print
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)