Skip to main content

Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • Irish : Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Diarmada ‘son of Diarmaid’, a personal name possibly composed of the separative prefix di- + farmat ‘envy’, hence meaning ‘free from envy’. This name was borne in Celtic legend by the lover of Gráinne, and, in historical times, by Diarmaid Mac Murchadha, the 12th-century king of Leinster whose appeal to the English for support led directly to the Anglo-Norman presence in Ireland. Mac Diarmada was an important name in Connacht.

Join the Family

Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.

Subscribe