MEANING & ORIGINS OF "GLYNN"
It is our hope that we will be able to include some "scholarly" citations as to the origins of the surname GLYNN and its development. There are several works which deal with "Irish" Surnames, but I still haven't found one which adequately differentiates between the Celtic GLYNN and the Cornish GLYNN. If anyone has come across some likely works - please let me know. Any other thoughts you may have in this regard - please share them with us all.
According to MacLysaght: "The root word, as in the cognate surname Flynn, is the adjective flann, meaning ruddy."
One source has stated that GLYN/GLYNN from Wales settled in the area of Galway City in the 12th century. In the 13th century, GLYNN emigrated from Cornwall, first settling on the east coast of Ireland (Wexford) and later migrating west. At the time of Griffith's Valuations, GLYNN was most common in the west: From Griffith's, there were 603 GLYNN households. Here is the count of households by County:
Glynn Households in Griffith's
Valuations (1848-1864)
Antrim ..........................7
Carlow ...........................4
Cavan ....................2
Clare...........................44
Cork............................. 6
Cork city ................2
Derry...........................16
Donegal..........................13
Down......................4
Dublin..........................11
Dublin City........ ..............5
Fermanagh................ 4
Galway.........................299
Kerry.............................1
Kildare.................. 7
Laois............................2
Leitrim............ ..............2
Limerick......... ........3
Limerick City....................4
Mayo................ ............55
Meath....... .............3
Monaghan.........................4
Offaly........................... 6
Roscommon............... 45
Tyrone..........................14
Waterford.........................1
Westmeath............... 34
Wexford......................... 2
Wicklow...........................3
Glynn Households in Griffith's Valuations (1848-1864)
| Antrim ..........................7 | Carlow ...........................4 | Cavan ....................2 |
| Clare...........................44 | Cork............................. 6 | Cork city ................2 |
| Derry...........................16 | Donegal..........................13 | Down......................4 |
| Dublin..........................11 | Dublin City........ ..............5 | Fermanagh................ 4 |
| Galway.........................299 | Kerry.............................1 | Kildare.................. 7 |
| Laois............................2 | Leitrim............ ..............2 | Limerick......... ........3 |
| Limerick City....................4 | Mayo................ ............55 | Meath....... .............3 |
| Monaghan.........................4 | Offaly........................... 6 | Roscommon............... 45 |
| Tyrone..........................14 | Waterford.........................1 | Westmeath............... 34 |
| Wexford......................... 2 | Wicklow...........................3 |