View source for O'Casey

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox surname |name = O'Casey
|image = |image_size = <!-- width in pixels --> |caption =
|pronunciation = |meaning = ''descendant of Cathasach''<br />(''vigilant'' or ''watchful'')
|region = [[Ireland]] |languageorigin = [[Old Irish]]<br />([[Anglicized]])
|variant = O'Cathasaigh<br />[[Casey (surname)|Casey]] (disambiguation)<br />[[MacCasey]]
|footnotes =
}}
'''O'Casey''' is a common variation of the Gaelic ''cathasaigh'', meaning ''vigilant'' or ''watchful'', with the added anglicized prefix ''[[Irish name#Surnames and prefixes|O']]'' of the Gaelic ''Ó'', meaning ''grandson'' or ''descendant''. At least six different [[sept]]s used this name, primarily in the [[Counties of Ireland|Counties]] of [[County Cork|Cork]] and [[County Dublin|Dublin]].
According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Caseys were the chiefly family of the Saithne tribe who in turn were from the [[Dumnonii]] or [[Laigin]] who were the third wave of [[Celts]] to settle in [[Ireland]] during the first century [[Anno Domini|BC]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Cairney |first=C. Thomas |year=1989 |title=Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland |location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]], United States, and London |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |pages=78-81 |isbn=0899503624}}</ref>
People with the surname O'Casey include:
* [[Seán O'Casey]] (1880–1964), Irish playwright
* [[Eileen O'Casey]] (1900–1995), Irish actress, author, and wife of Sean O'Casey
* [[Breon O'Casey]] (1928–2011), son of Seán and Eileen O'Casey
* [[Lance O'Casey]], cartoon character
* [[Ronan O'Casey]] (1922–2012), Canadian actor and producer
* O'Casey (O'Cathasaigh), chief of Saithne, now Sonagh, in Westmeath; see [[Tuite Baronets]]
== See also ==
* [[Casey (surname)]]
* [[Casey (disambiguation)]]
* [[Irish clans]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
*[http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Casey Surname DB]
*[http://domesdaymaps.com/IFN-C.htm Irish Family Names]
*[http://homepage.eircom.net/~caseyclan/html/casey.html The Casey Clan]
==External links==
* http://caseycloudconcepts.blogspot.com/2011/01/whats-in-name-casey.html?showComment=1350277679751#c2813048136101307288
{{surname|O'Casey}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ocasey}}
[[Category:Surnames]]
[[Category:Irish families]]
[[Category:Surnames of Irish origin]]
[[Category:Anglicised Irish-language surnames]]
[[Category:Patronymic surnames]]