Ireland to Minnesota: with a Bavarian sprinkle: Walsh

Walsh is among the five most numerous surnames in Ireland, found throughout the country. There are concentrations of Walshes in Leinster in counties Kilkenny and Wexford, in Connacht in counties Mayo and Galway, and in Munster in counties Cork and Waterford.

Walsh, which is pronounced "Welsh" in Connaught , is a semi-translation of the Irish surname Breathnach, meaning ‘Welsh’ or ‘Breton’, also sometimes anglicised as ‘Brannagh’. This alludes to the Cambro-Gaelic origin of the Walsh families. The name came into use to describe the Welsh people who came to Ireland during the Cambro-Norman invasions beginning in 1169 A.D.

Unlike most of the Anglo-Norman and Cambro-Norman families such as the Burkes, the Fitzgeralds etc, who can trace their ancestry to a small number of known individuals, the Walshes have many different origins, since the name arose independently in many different places in Ireland.

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