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Ormond History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Ormond History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The Ormond surname came to Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century, led by the forces of Strongbow. The surname came from a common occupational name for a wine steward or the chief servant of a medieval household. In royal households, the title denoted a high-ranking officer whose duties as a wine steward were merely nominal. Occupational surnames, such as Ormond were much quite common to the Anglo-Norman culture, and virtually unknown in Gaelic Irish. The prefix le, meaning the, in French was often used by the early Strongbownians to link a person's first and name and surname. Eventually these prefixes were dropped or became fused onto the beginning of the surname. The surname Ormond is derived from Anglo-French "butuiller," which comes from the Old French word "bouteillier." These words are ultimately derived from the Latin words "buticularius," and "buticula," which mean "bottle." The Gaelic form of the surname Ormond is de Buitléir.

Early Origins of the Ormond family

The surname Ormond was first found in the ancient territory of Ormond (now parts of County Kilkenny, Wexford and north Tipperary). The first on record was Theobald FitzWalter, a distinguished Norman noble who accompanied Strongbow and was created the Chief Butler of Ireland in 1177. "He also possessed the barony of Amounderness, Lancashire, which he held in 1165 by service of one knight." 1

"Layton, [Lancashire] is mentioned in the Domesday Survey, and in former times was of some importance as containing a mansion belonging to the ancient family of Botiller or Butler, barons of Warrington." 2 His descendents began to use the surname Butler around the year 1220. His direct descendant became Earl of Ormond in 1328 and their stronghold was Kilkenny castle. The family were rivals of the powerful Fitzgeralds and their kin, and the effective government of Ireland was held by one or the other of these two great Norman houses until the death of the Great Duke of Ormond in 1688.

Many members of the family were ardent Jacobites, including the Abbé James Butler of Nantes, who was chaplain to "Bonnie Prince Charlie" during the last Jacobite uprising of 1745. Despite the strong Irish side of the family, the English side remained strong too. Laughton-En-Le-Morthen in the West Riding of Yorkshire was the site of one such family. "Laughton Hall, the ancient seat of the Butler family, is a spacious mansion, commanding extensive views." 2

Early History of the Ormond family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ormond research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1359, 1382, 1384, 1386, 1388, 1389, 1390, 1391, 1392, 1397, 1401, 1405, 1467, 1496, 1531, 1539, 1546, 1601, 1614, 1627, 1650, 1652, 1653, 1667, 1704, 1740, 1745, 1762 and 1823 are included under the topic Early Ormond History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ormond Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Ormond included: Butler, Buttler, McRichard and others.

Early Notables of the Ormond family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond (1359-1405), noble in the Peerage of Ireland, title was Governer of Ireland, acceded to the title in 1382 and built Gowran Castle three years later making it his usual...
Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond and 1st Earl of Ossory (c. 1467-1539)
James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond and 2nd Earl of Ossory (1496-1546)
Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde and 3rd Earl of Ossory, Viscount Thurles (c. 1531-1614), was an Irish peer
Piers FitzThomas Butler of Duiske (died 1601), was the illegitimate son of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond

Ormond Ranking

In the United States, the name Ormond is the 12,990^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Ormond migration to the United States +

The Irish emigration during the late 18th and 19th century contributed to the melting pot of nationalities in North America, and the building of a whole new era of industry and commerce in what was seen as a rich, new land. Ireland'sGreat Potato Famine resulted in the worst economic and social conditions in the island's history. And in response to the hunger, disease, and poverty, during this decade the total number of emigrants to leave for North America rivaled all the previous years combined. Those from this decade that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Research into early immigration and passenger lists has shown many people bearing the name Ormond:

Ormond Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Ormond, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 4
John Ormond, aged 16, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775 4

Ormond migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ormond Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Adjunt. George Ormond U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the Queen's Rangers 5

Ormond Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mary Ormond, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland

Ormond migration to Australia +

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

Ormond Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Patrick Ormond, (b. 1799), aged 35, Irish convict who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 27th July 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1834 aboard the ship 6

Ormond 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:

Ormond Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

J. Ormond, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann" in 1853
John Ormond, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1859 7
Mr. John Ormond, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th October 1859 8
Patrick Ormond, aged 45, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Constance" in 1862
Matthew Ormond, aged 35, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ormond (post 1700) +

Ron Ormond (1910-1981), American author, showman, screenwriter, film producer, and film director
Duncan Ormond, Scottish-born, New Zealand former football player who represented New Zealand at international level
Bert Ormond (1931-2017), Scottish-born, New Zealand football player who represented New Zealand at international level
John Lambie "Ian" Ormond (1949-2021), Scottish-born, New Zealand association football player who represented New Zealand at international level
Mary Ormond (b. 1702), wife of a notorious English pirate Blackbeard
Guillaume Ormond (1896-1971), English cathedral organist
John Davies Ormond (1832-1917), New Zealand politician
Wayne Ormond, Australian entrepreneur and businessman
John Ormond (1923-1990), Welsh poet and filmmaker
Vicki Ormond (b. 1982), association football player who represented New Zealand
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html