Corcoran is an Irish surname, the original

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

form being meaning 'descendant of Corcrán' and MacCorcráin from

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

meaning Son of Corcrán. The name itself is derived from meaning 'purple'.

History

The name Corcoran is an anglicisation of the names of two Gaelic clans. The first was the Ó Corcráin in

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

. The second was the MacCorcráin clan from

, which was a sept of Ó Corcráin. Related variations of the name Corcoran historically include ''MacCorcoran'', ''O'Corcoran'', and ''Corcorran''. The Corcorans were predominantly from

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh (), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of alleged Laigin or ...

and included a number of figures of historical importance such as the

Bishop of Clogher The Bishop of Clogher (, ) is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and ...

in 1370 and Edmund O'Corcoran, "the hero of

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

" (from the siege of 1691). Many Corcorans become members of the clergy between the tenth and fifteenth centuries; they became based around the vicinity of

Lough Erne Lough Erne ( , ) is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River E ...

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...

. One member of the family, John Corcoran, was appointed Bishop of Clogher in 1373. The O'Corcrain territory was invaded by the Normans in 1170 AD. During the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...

and the

Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the Commonwealth of England, initially led by Oliver Cromwell. It forms part of the 1641 to 1652 Irish Confederate Wars, and wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three ...

in 1649 AD, the Corcorans were scattered. Many settled on lands in

Connaught Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine ...

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

and

. Principally Offaly, Tipperary and Galway where the MacCorcorans had settled previously.

Modern

Today the surname is used throughout Ireland and throughout the

Irish diaspora The Irish diaspora () refers to ethnic Irish people and their descendants who live outside the island of Ireland. The phenomenon of migration from Ireland is recorded since the Early Middle Ages,Flechner, Roy; Meeder, Sven (2017). The Irish ...

Notable people

Notable people with the surname Corcoran include: * Ann Corcoran (politician) (born 1951), Australian politician * Ann Corcoran (activist), American blogger and activist * Annette Corcoran (born 1930), American ceramist *

Barbara Corcoran Barbara Ann Corcoran (born March 10, 1949) is an American businesswoman, investor, syndicated columnist, and television personality. She founded The Corcoran Group, a real estate brokerage in New York City, which she sold to NRT for $66 million ...

(born 1949), real estate mogul, entrepreneur, and investor on ABC's ''Shark Tank'' * Brian Ó Corcrán (died 1624?), poet *

Brian Corcoran Brian Corcoran (born 23 March 1973) is an Irish former hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a centre-back and as a full-forward for the Cork senior teams. Born in Glounthaune, County Cork, Corcoran first played competitive Gaelic games ...

(born 1973), former Irish sportsman * Cahalan Ó Corcrán (died 1001), Abbot * Danny Corcoran (disambiguation), several people *

Des Corcoran James Desmond Corcoran (8 November 1928 – 3 January 2004) was an Australian politician who served as the 37th premier of South Australia between February and September 1979, following the resignation of Don Dunstan. During his brief premier ...

(1929–2004), Australian politician *

Donna Corcoran Donna Corcoran (born September 29, 1942) is an American former child actress who appeared in nine Hollywood films from 1951 through 1955. She was in two aquatic musicals that featured Esther Williams (portraying swimmer Annette Kellerman as a ch ...

(born 1942), American former child actress *

Éamonn Corcoran Éamonn Corcoran (born 17 October 1977 in Templemore, County Tipperary) is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club J.K. Bracken's GAC. He was a member of the Tipperary GAA senior inter-county team from 1999 until 2008. Ea ...

(born 1978), former Irish sportsman * Evan Corcoran (born 1964), American lawyer * Farrel Corcoran, author and academic * Felimidh Ó Corcrán (died 1522), Canon lawyer * Fláithrí Ó Corcrán (died 1496), singer and harpist *

Frank Corcoran Frank Corcoran ( ; born 1 May 1944) is an Irish composer. His output includes chamber, symphonic, choral and electro-acoustic music, through which he often explores Irish mythology and history. Life ''"I came late to art music; childhood soundsca ...

(born 1944), Irish composer * Fred Corcoran (1905–1977), World Golf Hall of Famer * Imelda Corcoran, Australian actress * James Corcoran (disambiguation), several people * Jerry Corcoran (1893–1981), American football player and executive *

Jim Corcoran James Ashley Corcoran (born 10 February 1949 in Sherbrooke, Quebec) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and former broadcaster. Biography Jim Corcoran was born in Sherbrooke, but went to high school and obtained his B.A. in Boston, Massachusetts ...

(born 1949), Canadian musician * Jimmy Corcoran (1819–1900), gangster * Johannes O Corcoran OSB (died c. 1389),

* John Corcoran (disambiguation), several people *

Joseph Corcoran Joseph Edward Corcoran (April 18, 1975 – December 18, 2024) was an American convicted mass murderer who was executed for a quadruple murder case in Indiana. Corcoran was found guilty of the 1997 murders of his brother, his sister's fiancé, and ...

(1975–2024), American executed mass murderer *

Josephine Mackie Corcoran Josephine Mackie Corcoran (née Aiken; March 8, 1894 – December 29, 1967) was an American politician from Maryland. She served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Cecil County from 1941 to 1946. She was the first woman ...

(1894–1967), American politician from Maryland *

Kevin Corcoran Kevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran (June 10, 1949 – October 6, 2015) was an American child actor. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, leading him to be honored as a Disney Legend in 2006. Early life Born in 194 ...

(1949–2015), American director, producer and former child actor *

Larry Corcoran Lawrence J. Corcoran (August 10, 1859 – October 14, 1891) was an American professional baseball player. He pitched for four different major-league teams from 1880 to 1887. Biography Corcoran was born in Brooklyn, New York. He made his major- ...

(1859–1891), American pitcher in Major League Baseball *

Michael Corcoran Michael Corcoran (September 21, 1827 – December 22, 1863) was an Irish- American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and a close confidant of President Abraham Lincoln. As its colonel, he led the 69th New York Regiment ...

(1827–1863), American general and close confidant of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War * Niall Corcoran, Irish sportsman *

Noreen Corcoran Noreen Margaret Corcoran (October 20, 1943 – January 15, 2016) was an American film and television actress. She was best known for playing Kelly Gregg in the American sitcom television series ''Bachelor Father (American TV series), Bachelor Fath ...

(1943–2016), American actress *

Ray Corcoran Ray Corcoran is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. Playing career He was a member of the Cronulla-Sutherland club for eight seasons between 1968 and 1975. His usual position was on the wing. Cor ...

, Australian rugby league footballer * Thomas Corcoran, several people * Timothy Corcoran (disambiguation), several people *

William Corcoran Eustis William Corcoran Eustis (July 20, 1862 – November 24, 1921) was a captain in the United States Army and the personal assistant to General John J. Pershing during World War I. He was chairman of the inauguration committee for the first ina ...

(1862–1921), wealthy inhabitant of Washington, D.C., and grandson of William Wilson Corcoran *

William Wilson Corcoran William Wilson Corcoran (December 27, 1798 – February 24, 1888) was an American banker, philanthropist, and art collector. He founded the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Early life and education Corcoran was born on December 27, ...

(1798–1888), American banker, philanthropist and art collector

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corcoran Anglicised Irish-language surnames

History

Modern

Notable people

See also

References