Moran Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Moran Family History

Moran Family History

The Moran ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Moran include O'Moran, McMoran, Morren, Moren, Morrin and several others. These names are anglicized forms of the Gaelic O'Morain and O'Moghrain septs belonging to the Counties of Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and Leitrim, where the two septs held their territory.

A sept or clan is a collective term describing a group of persons whose immediate ancestors bore a common surname and inhabited the same territory. It is also the case that many Irish septs or clans that are related often belong to a larger groups, sometimes called tribes. For example the 'Tribes of Galway' consisted of fourteen distinct families. The 'Tribes of Kilkenny' were ten families, etc.

When Gaelic names were anglicized during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries they were often changed to Anglo equivalents that sounded most like their original Gaelic name. Families of this name in County Leitrim also changed their name to Morahan and Morrin especially. O'Morain was Chief of County Mayo and resided near Ballina. O'Moghrain was Chief of Griffon in County Galway and another was Chief of Ballintober, County Roscommon. It is in these areas that the Morans are most numerous in modern times. Distinguished bearers of the name include General James O'Moran, 1739-1794, of Dillon's Irish regiment in the army of France, who was guillotined, and Cardinal Patrick Moran, 1870-1936, of Australia, who was author of 'The Life of Blessed Oliver Plunkett'. The Moran family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Moran descendants.