O'Casey is a common variation of the Gaelic cathasaigh, meaning vigilant or watchful, with the added anglicized prefix O' of the Gaelic Ó, meaning grandson or descendant. At least six different septs used this name, primarily in the Counties of Cork and Dublin.
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Old Irish (Anglicized) |
| Meaning | descendant of Cathasach (vigilant or watchful) |
| Region of origin | Ireland |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | O'Cathasaigh Casey (disambiguation) MacCasey |
According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Caseys were the chiefly family of the Saithne tribe who in turn were from the Dumnonii or Laigin who were the third wave of Celts to settle in Ireland during the first century BC.[1]
People with the surname O'Casey include:
- Seán O'Casey (1880–1964), Irish playwright
- Eileen O'Casey (1900–1995), Irish actress, author, and wife of Sean O'Casey
- Breon O'Casey (1928–2011), son of Seán and Eileen O'Casey
- Lance O'Casey, cartoon character
- Ronan O'Casey (1922–2012), Canadian actor and producer
- O'Casey (O'Cathasaigh), chief of Saithne, now Sonagh, in Westmeath; see Tuite Baronets
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Cairney, C. Thomas (1989). Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland. Jefferson, North Carolina, United States, and London: McFarland & Company. pp. 78–81. ISBN 0899503624.
External links
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This page lists people with the surname O'Casey.
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If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.