The most frequent family names with roots in County Kilkenny — names that spread through Ireland and the Irish diaspora:
Kilkenny city is the best-preserved medieval town in Ireland. Kilkenny Castle, built by the Norman Strongbow in the twelfth century and expanded by the powerful Butler dynasty, still dominates the Nore river. The Black Abbey, Saint Canice's Cathedral, and Rothe House — a merchant's townhouse from 1594 — make Kilkenny's medieval core almost uniquely intact.
The Butlers, Earls of Ormond, were one of the most powerful Norman dynasties in Ireland for four centuries. Their seat at Kilkenny Castle gave them control of Leinster's southern counties. Butler is a distinctly Kilkenny surname — it derives from the French bouteiller (butler, or household officer) and the family held the hereditary role of Chief Butler of Ireland from the twelfth century.
Kilkenny is hurling's spiritual home. The county has won the All-Ireland Hurling Championship more times than any other — over thirty titles — and the game is woven into the county's identity more completely than anywhere else. The black-and-amber of the Kilkenny jersey is one of the most recognised strips in Irish sport.
Kilkenny families — especially the Walsh, Brennan, and Butler names — spread heavily to the United States. The south Kilkenny and Waterford corridor was a significant source of emigration during the Famine years. Many Kilkenny emigrants went first to Liverpool and then across to New York and Boston.
Love Ireland covers Kilkenny's medieval architecture, its craft beer scene, its hurling obsession, and the Nore Valley's quiet beauty. The city's Medieval Mile is one of the best walking experiences in Ireland.
Subscribe to Love Ireland — FreeIf your family came from County Kilkenny, here's where to start your research:
Common County Kilkenny surnames with dedicated pages on this site: