Power

Etymology

The surname is generally traced to Norman French le Poer / le Power, a family name brought to Britain after the Norman Conquest and later established in Ireland. The form is often linked to the old French word for a poor or humble person, though early writers sometimes treated it as a Norman hereditary surname rather than a transparent nickname. In Irish use, it became strongly associated with the influential de Poer family in Waterford and surrounding areas, and the spelling was later anglicized in several ways, including Power, Poore, and Powre.

History

Lower notes that the name was of Norman origin and had a prominent Irish history from the time of Strongbow’s invasion, when Robert le Poer received lands in Waterford. The family became one of the best-known Anglo-Norman lines in Ireland, and the surname remained common there after later anglicization. In England, Power also appears as an established surname, sometimes alongside related spellings such as Poore and Powre.

Origin

Regions

Variant spellings

Fun fact

The Irish surname Power is historically tied to one of the old Anglo-Norman settler families in Waterford, where the name became so established that it remains common there today.

Related surnames