Kennedy ~ Ó Cinnéidigh

The Story of the Kennedy Name

Kennedy is the anglicized form of the Irish Ó Cinnéidigh, meaning “descendant of Cennétig.” The personal name Cennétig is an ancient Gaelic name, although its precise meaning is uncertain.

The name is closely connected with Cennétig mac Lorcáin, King of Thomond and the father of Brian Boru. His family belonged to the Dál gCais of Munster, who rose from regional prominence to become one of the most powerful dynasties in medieval Ireland.

The Kennedy family itself became particularly associated with Ormond in County Tipperary, where they established themselves as an important Gaelic family. Centuries later, the name crossed the Atlantic and became famous around the world through the American Kennedy family.

Yet behind that familiar modern name lies an ancient Irish surname: Ó Cinnéidigh, rooted in the families and landscapes of medieval Munster and carried forward through the generations.