Bermingham is one of the great Norman names of Ireland — a family that crossed with the conquest and became powerful lords in the west of the country.
Where does the Bermingham surname come from?
Bermingham is of Norman origin, taken (in the form de Bermingham) from the English city now spelled Birmingham. The family came to Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion in the late twelfth century and established themselves above all in Connacht, becoming one of the leading Norman houses of the west.
The Berminghams of Athenry
The family’s senior line held the title of Baron of Athenry in County Galway — long regarded as one of the most ancient baronies of Ireland — and the Berminghams were also associated with Carbury on the Kildare–Offaly border. Like many Norman families, they put down deep roots and became, in the old phrase, “more Irish than the Irish themselves.”
Related Irish family names
If your roots run through Norman Connacht, you may also recognise Blake, Bodkin, and Barry.