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ORIGINS OF THE WALSH NAME |
The Oxford Names Companion's entry for Walsh states:- "English: name for a Celt, from ME walsche Celtic, foreign (OE waelisc, a deriv. of wealh foreign; cf. WALLACE AND WAUGH)".
MalcLysaght, Edward (1985). The Surnames of Ireland (fourth ed.)
"Walsh is a common Irish surname, meaning "Briton" or "foreigner" (literally "Welshman" or "Wales"), taken to Ireland by soldiers from Britain, namely Welsh, Cambro-Norman, Cornish and Cumbrian soldiers during and after the Norman invasion of Ireland. It is the fourth most common surname in Ireland, and the 265th most common in the United States. There are variants including "Walshe", "Welch", "Welsh", "Brannagh", and the Irish "Breathnach". Walsh is uncommon as a given name. The name is often pronounced "Welsh" in the south and west of the country."
