O'Grady
An Irish surname meaning “descendant of Gráda,” from a personal name associated with nobility or distinction.
The #4,831 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 42,259 Americans shares it.
Etymology
O'Grady is the anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic Ó Gráda, meaning “descendant of Gráda.” The personal name Gráda is usually explained from a Gaelic root connected with rank, nobility, or grace, though the exact nuance is not always spelled out consistently in older sources. The surname is therefore a patronymic in origin, marking descent from an ancestor known by that name.
History
The name is strongly associated with Ireland, especially Munster, where the O'Gradys were a notable Gaelic family. Like many Irish surnames beginning with Ó, it was often shortened or anglicized in records, and the apostrophe form became standard in English. The excerpt provided also shows the name in a 17th-century-style record, reflecting its long-established use.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In modern English-language records, O'Grady and Grady can sometimes refer to the same underlying Irish surname line, depending on whether the prefix was retained.
From the historical record
“Percy, 1702 OGrady, 746, 1663. Ounihan, 483. Perdon, 1745.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland