Show ContentsO'Floude History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish surname O'Floude begins was originally the Gaelic MacTuile, Ó Maoltuile, or Mac Maoltuile. "tuile" means "flood," and the names Tully and Flood were at one time interchangeable in Ireland. 1

However, some of the Gaelic names that have become "flood" may have been mistranslations, and that contained the Gaelic "toile," meaning "toil," or "will." In Ulster, Floyd has sometimes been used as a spelling variant of Flood; however, Floyd is normally a cognate of the Welsh name Lloyd, derived from the word 'llwyd,' which means ‘grey.’

Early Origins of the O'Floude family

The surname O'Floude was first found in Connacht, where they could be found since ancient times, and were hereditary physicians to the O'Connors of Galway.

Early History of the O'Floude family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Floude research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1572, 1574, 1589, 1592, 1593, 1603, 1620, 1637, 1641, 1648, 1649, 1660, 1675 and 1676 are included under the topic Early O'Floude History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Floude Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name O'Floude were encountered in the archives: Flood, Floyd, Floode, Floyde, Tully, MacTully,Talley, Tally and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Floude family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Thomas Tully (1620-1676), an English clergyman of Calvinist views. He was born in St. Mary's parish, Carlisle and was son of George Tully. "After the Restoration he was created D.D. on 9 Nov. 1660, and nominated one of the Royal Chaplains in Ordinary, and in April 1675 was appointed Dean of Ripon. " 2 Edward Floyd, Floud or LLoyd (d. 1648?), was a Catholic barrister who became steward in Shropshire to Lord-Chancellor Ellesmere and the Earl of Suffolk. 2 Henry Floyd (1563-1641), was an English Jesuit, elder brother of Father John Floyd, born in...
Another 120 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early O'Floude Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Floude family

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'Floude name: Edmund Flood who landed in Massachusetts in 1620; David Flood settled in Virginia in 1637; followed by Abraham Flood 1650; John in 1652; Arthur Floyd settled in Virginia in 1647.



The O'Floude 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: Vis unita fortior
Motto Translation: Strength united is the more powerful.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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