Fogarty
An Irish surname, usually understood as an anglicized form of an older Gaelic family name.
The #4,311 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,446 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fogarty is generally treated as an anglicized Irish surname from an older Gaelic form, most often given as O'Fogartaigh or a closely related spelling. The underlying personal name is usually explained as containing a word for exile or wandering, though older writers differ on the exact Gaelic shape and meaning. In plain English, the name is usually taken to mean a descendant of Fogartach, a byname associated with being exiled, roaming, or restless.
History
The surname is of Irish origin and has long been associated with families in Ireland, especially in the midland and southern counties. Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century surname scholars recorded several spellings beside it, including Fogerty and related forms, showing the usual variation created by anglicizing Irish names. It also appears in Irish-American records and later census data in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A single Irish surname could produce several English spellings, and Fogarty is one of the better-known examples of that process.
From the historical record
“634 FOGARTY. Fogaton. 185. Fogerty. [Swi.m. i<?5. . Foley. 588 Fawcett. Faucet.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland