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Origins Available: |
| Ireland |
Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name O'Cassidy is Ó Casaide. 1
The surname O'Cassidy was first found in Fermanagh (Irish: Fear Manach) in the southwestern part of Northern Ireland, Province of Ulster, where the Irish sept claims direct descent from the Irish King Colla da Crioch who was banished from Ireland in 327. 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Cassidy research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1143 and 1740 are included under the topic Early O'Cassidy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many spelling variations of the surname O'Cassidy can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Cassidy, Cassady, Cassiday, Cassedy, Cassedey and others.
Notable amongst the family name at this time was
A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the O'Cassidy name: Patrick Cassidy who settled in Rhode Island, and later moved to Norwich in Connecticut, where he became one of America's first surgeons. Edward, Hugh, James, John, Patrick, Thomas and William Cassady who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865.