OILIBHÉAR

Rev Patrick Woulfe

Irish Names and Surnames

1923

OILIBHÉAR, genitive -éir, Oliver; almost certainly a Gallicised form of the Norse Ólafr or Óleifr, ancestor's relic (see Amhlaoibh); a name introduced into Ireland by the Anglo-Normans and once fairly common, until its association with Cromwell made it unpopular. With the beatification of Blessed Oliver Plunket it is likely to be revived. Latin — Oliverus, Oliverius.

Alphabetical Index to Names of Men (Irish-English)

Explanatory Note

English-Irish Index

Note: The old Irish letters used in the original text* have been converted to the Roman alphabet for this online version, and the lenited (or dotted) consonants changed to their aspirated equivalents, i.e. the dotted 'c' has been altered to 'ch', the dotted 'g' to 'gh', and the dotted 'm' to 'mh', etc. For example, in the name Caoimgin (Kevin), where the 'm' and 'g' are both dotted (ṁ, ġ) in the old Irish lettering, the name has been converted here to the modern Irish equivalent of Caoimhghin.

* Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames by Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923.

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