Moran (surname)

Moran (Irish: Ó Móráin) is a modern Irish surname derived from membership of a medieval dynastic sept. The name means a descendant of Mórán. “Mor” in Gaelic translates as big or great and “an” as the prefix the. Morans were a respected sept of the Uí Fiachrach dynasty in the western counties of Mayo and Sligo. In Ireland, where the name descended from the Gaelic, it is generally pronounced /ˈmɒrən/ MORR-ən[1] anglicised approximate of the Irish pronunciation.

Elsewhere, pronunciation follows the French surname, Morant, anglicised to /məˈræn/ mə-RAN or /mɒˈræn/ morr-AN.[1][2] There are many different crests of Moran, many bearing three stars and the motto Lucent in tenebris, Latin for "They shine in darkness". Another crest, attributed to the family of a Moran family living in Ballina, County Mayo, is described thus: "Azure on a mount proper, two lions combatant or, holding between them a flagstaff also proper, therefrom a flag argent; a crest: out of amural crown, a demi-saracen, head in profile, all proper; and a motto: 'Fides non timet.'" (This motto translates as "Faith does not fear" or "The faithful fear not".)[3][4]

The majority of bearers of this surname in County Mayo are descended from the Ó Móráin sept whose ancient kingdom was in north Mayo, surrounding the modern town of Ballina. Following the Norman invasion, their territory was usurped by the Barretts and Burkes and the sept lost its central organisation. The modern distribution of the surname within Mayo suggests that the Morans spread southwards and today are chiefly found in the central area of the county, particularly in the barony of Carra.

The majority of bearers of this surname in County Leitrim descended from the Ó Móráin sept of the Muintir Eolais, and more specifically the Conmhaicne of Maigh Nissi, who lived along the River Shannon.