O'Hara History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


Irish surnames are linked to the long Gaelic heritage of the Island nation. The original Gaelic form of the name O'Hara is Ó hEaghra, connoting a descendant of Eaghra. O'Hara is a patronymic surname, which derived from the vernacular given name tradition.

Early Origins of the O'Hara family

The surname O'Hara was first found in County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the O'Hara family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Hara research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Hara History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Hara Spelling Variations

Lacking standardized spellings, scribes and church officials recorded people's name according to how they sounded. This practice often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname O'Hara are preserved in the archival documents of the period. The various spellings of the name that were found include Hara, Harra, O'Hara and others.

Early Notables of the O'Hara family

More information is included under the topic Early O'Hara Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Hara Ranking

In the United States, the name O'Hara is the 1,623rd most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name O'Hara is ranked the 951st most popular surname with an estimated 7,327 people with that name. 2


O'Hara migration to the United States +

Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name O'Hara:

O'Hara Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
O'Hara Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

O'Hara migration to Australia +

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

O'Hara Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

O'Hara 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:

O'Hara Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

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


The O'Hara 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: Virtute et claritate
Motto Translation: By virtue and high repute.
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