Ó Laighin

Ó Laighin, Gaelic-Irish surname, anglicised as Lyons, Lane or Lyne.

Overview
Ó Laighin was the surname of two unrelated families in medieval Ireland.

1 - Ó Laighin of County Kerry, usually anglicised as Lyne.

2 - Ó Laighin of County Galway, their home district been around Kilconnell. Now rendered Lyons or Lane.

Over two hundred households of the latter family were recorded between 1847-64.

Etymology


Laighin is the Irish name for Leinster, the most populated of the four Provinces of Ireland, which is located in the south-east of the island and entirely within the Republic of Ireland. The prefix Ó (common in Irish surnames) creates the meaning "of Leinster" or "descendant of Leinster".

Laighin may also derive from the Irish word láigen, meaning 'spear' or 'lance', which lent its name to the Laigin (Leinstermen) who inhabited pre-Norman south-east Ireland.

Notable People

 * Pádraig B. Ó Laighin, academic in sociology, poet and advocate for the Irish language.