Flannery
An Irish surname, usually understood as an anglicized form of a Gaelic name associated with the descendants of a red- or ruddy-haired ancestor.
The #3,409 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,413 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Flannery is generally treated as an Irish surname derived from a Gaelic personal-name or clan form built on flann, meaning “red,” “ruddy,” or “flame-colored.” In Irish naming practice, such forms often pointed to a notable ancestor rather than a literal job or place. The name was later Anglicized as Flannery, with related spellings and forms appearing in other Irish surnames built on the same root.
History
The surname is strongly associated with Ireland, especially Gaelic-speaking regions, and is recorded in 19th-century Irish surname scholarship alongside related names such as Flanagan and Flannelly. In modern usage it is found in Ireland and in Irish diaspora communities, especially in North America and Britain. Historical spelling was not fixed, so variant forms could appear in records depending on local clerks and pronunciation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The element flann is also behind several other Irish surnames, which is why Flannery often sits in a larger family of names with a similar sound and origin.
From the historical record
“(3 ■plAitniiin, Lavin. 0 "plAiciiie, Flattery. 0 "piAnriAtJiiA, Flannery. 6 "plATiriACAin, Flanaghan. 0 "piATinAgAiti, O'Flanagan, Flanagan, Flanigan, etc. 0 "plAnncAT)A, O "plAtinCAIT),”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames