Ó Droighneáin

Ó Droighneáin, Gaelic-Irish surname.

Background
Ó Droighneáin was a surname of at least two different septs, located in Counties Cork and Galway, but has been 'translated' as Thornton, an English surname. "[Thornton] is a portmanteau English name for Ó Draighneáin, Mac Sceacháin, Ó Toráin. The connection is: draighean, blackthorn; sceach, whitethorn; tor, a bush. MacLysaght remarks that some Thorntons in Limerick were 16 cent planters." .

Ó Droighneáin remains in use as an Irish-language surname.

Bearers of the surname

 * Micheál Ó Droigheaín, An Spidéal-born Irish Volunteer and IRA commander, 1889-1964
 * Pádraig Thornton, alias Proinsias Ó Draighneáin, Drogheda-born member of IRB and Irish Volunteers, d. 1936
 * Muiris Ó Droighneáin, Charleville-born Irish scholar, 1901–79
 * Mícheál Ó Droighneáin, actor and director, fl. 1930
 * Máirtín Ó Droighneáin, An Spidéal-born boxer, 1916–84
 * Áine Ní Dhroigneáin, Sean-Nós singer and actor
 * Máire Uí Droighneáin, Ros na Rún actor
 * Eoin Ó Droighneáin, Irish socialist
 * Muireann Ni Dhroighneain, actress
 * Sailí Ní Dhroighneáin, sean-nós singer and musician, 2014 Fleadh Cheoil winner