Corcoran (surname)

Corcoran is a surname believed to have derived from the Gaelic word Corcair, now used to denote purple but formerly meaning ruddy, or 'of reddish complexion' [Woulfe, Patrick: "Irish Names and Surnames", Genealogical Publishing Company 1993] , and may refer to a number of different people, places or other entities.

Name origin

Related variations of the name Corcoran historically include "MacCorcoran", "O'Corcoran", and "Corcorran". The sept called MacCorcoran was of some importance in the Ely O'Carroll county. They are still people of substance in Offaly, Cork and Tipperary Counties today. The O'Corcorans hailed from Fermanagh and included a number of figures of historical importance such as the Bishop of Clogher in 1370 and Edmund O'Corcoran, "the hero of Limerick" (from the siege of 1691). [Grenham, John: "Clans and Families of Ireland: The Heritage and Heraldry of Irish Clans and Families", Gill & Macmillan Ltd] The surname Corcoran is found in England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Australia, Canada, and the United States.Fact|date=May 2007

People

* Ann Corcoran (born 1951), Australian politician
* Bob Corcoran, American television host
* Brian Corcoran (born 1973), former Irish sportsman
* Captain Corcoran, character from Gilbert & Sullivan's (1878) English opera, "H.M.S. Pinafore"
* Danny Corcoran (1916 - 1938), Newfoundland Ranger (Game Warden)
* James Desmond "Des" Corcoran (1929–2004), Australian politician
* Farrel Corcoran, author and academic
* Fred Corcoran, (1905 - 1977), World Golf Hall of Famer
* Jim Corcoran (born 1949), Canadian musician
* Kevin Corcoran (born 1949), American director, producer and former child actor
* Lawrence J. Corcoran (1859 - 1891), American pitcher in Major League Baseball
* Michael Corcoran (1827 - 1863), American general and close confidant of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War
* Thomas E. Corcoran (1838 - 1904), United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the Medal of Honor
* Thomas Gardiner Corcoran, a member of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's [brain trust
* Timothy Hugh Corcoran (born 1978), American baseball player
* Tommy Corcoran (1869 - 1960), American baseball player
* William Corcoran Eustis (1862 - 1921), wealthy inhabitant of Washington, D.C. and grandson of William Wilson Corcoran
* William Wilson Corcoran (1798–1888), American banker, philanthropist and art collector

References