A second anglicisation of Ó hAodha, ‘descendant of Aodh’ — sharing its root with Hughes, but rooted in its own distinct septs across Limerick, Clare and Wexford.
Gaelic Origin · Root name Aodh, ‘fire’
Hayes shares its root with Hughes — both anglicise Ó hAodha, from Aodh, ‘fire’ — but took hold as its own distinct spelling among septs based in Limerick, Clare and Wexford, separate from the northern and midland families who became Hughes instead.
One root, two surnames, worlds apart in the county records — a reminder that anglicisation rarely ran in a straight line.
Irish form: Ó hAodha
