Irish Surname - Burke or Bourke
This Norman name originated from the borough of Caen in Normandy (de burg means "of the borough"). The names Burke and Bourke (variant spelling) were introduced to Ireland in the Anglo-Norman Invasion of 1169 and 1170. William de Burgo, of Burgh in Suffolk, accompanied Strongbow, the earl of Pembroke, to Ireland and later succeeded him as Chief Governor of Ireland under King Henry 11 and was rewarded with great estates.
The de Burgo clan settled mainly in the province of Connaught and other variations of the name include Burgh and De Burgh.
Famous People with the Bourke/ Burke Surname
Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught, was the eldest son of William de Burgh and his principal estate was in the barony of Loughrea where he built a castle in 1236 and founded the town. The islands on Lough Mask and Lough Orben were part of his demesne and he also founded Galway town and Ballinasloe.
Richard Óg de Burgh, ('The Red Earl'), 2nd Earl of Ulster and 3rd Baron of Connaught (1259 - 1326), was one of the most powerful Irish nobles of the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
Alternate Spellings for Bourke
The Burke / Bourke surname now ranks as one of the twenty commonest in Ireland and is distributed through the four provinces. It is least numerous in Ulster and most numerous in Connacht where the de Burgo family obtained vast estates at the end of the 12th Century.
Bourke, Burke, Burk, Bourk
Please Note
There is often limited information available on a specific coat of arms and motto for an Irish surname. Sometimes there are many variations, sometimes none, we have compiled a representative, but by no means exhaustive, selection. Please visit our Coat of Arms and Motto page for more information.
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