The names of the six sub-divisions that comprised Clann Fermaighe, Glanfarne, in the Co Leitrim barony of Drumahaire, were Clann Cellachβin, Clann Maelsamhna, Clann Taebhachβin, Clann Ubhβn, Clann Lughann, and Clann Uanβn. Not all gave rise to surnames, though we did get ╙ Ceallachβin and ╙ h┌bβin.
None of the others resemble any current surname, apart, possibly, from Clann Lughann. This has the same sound as luan (a warrior), which gave the surname ╙ Luain. This was anglicised (O)Loan(e) in the north, and often through pseudo-translation to the English surname Lambe (uan, a lamb) in the south. The Co Limerick sept, chiefs of Deisbeg (Small County barony, Co Limerick) dispersed throughout Munster soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion.
The other sept belonged to Oriel (Cos Louth, Armagh, Monaghan, and later all Co Fermanagh) and remained fairly numerous in Cos Monaghan, Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone. The name (O) Loan(e) is not to be found in the 1876 Owners of One Acre and Upwards. There are three one-acre Lambe holdings in Co Louth, a one-acre holding in Co Laois; 30 acres in Co Wicklow, and 238 at Kilcoleman Park, in the Co Cork parish of Desertserges.
The surname ╙ h┌bβin, "descendant of Hoban", derived from Clann Ubhβn. Now generally anglicised (O)Hoban, it had earlier been rendered O Hubane, O Howbane, Huban and Hooban. This family has been associated with Co Mayo and Co Kilkenny. Current telephone directories contain seven Huban entries and 174 Hoban. Forty-one of the latter are in the south Leinster/Waterford 05 area, and 76 in the 09 area of Cos Mayo, Roscommon and Galway.
In 1584 David O Hubane, clerk, of Burrishoole, Co Mayo, was among a group of pardoned persons, as was Shane O Howbane, carpenter, Togher, in 1593.
Togher names townlands in the Co Mayo parishes of Bekan and Robeen. The Co Mayo Book of Survey and Distribution lists Manus and Thomas Huban as owning over 200 acres in Derrygullinan in the Co Mayo parish of Kilbelfad in 1641.
This latter is Cill BhΘalad, "BΘalfad's church", according to Nollaig ╙ M·ra∅le's Mayo Places. "BΘalfhada" is a personal name which obviously originated as an epithet or nickname meaning "long-mouthed". Five families of Hubbane are listed in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 in Co Tipperary, and the Tipperary Tithe Applotment Books (1823-1837), and Griffith's Primary Valuation (1860) notes families named Hobin and Hobbins in the parishes of Borrisokane, Cloghprior, Dorrha, Finnoe, Kilbarron, Lorrha, Monsea and Uskane. Alice Hobane, Carrick, Co Waterford, made her will in 1750, and Edmond Hoban, Talbot's Inch, in the Co Kilkenny parish of St Canice, Thomas Hoban, Kilkenny, and John Hoban, Tullaherin (An Tulaigh Thirim, "the dry hill"), Co Kilkenny, respectively made their wills in 1754, 1765 and 1771.
Pat Hoban, Errew, Castlebar, was the sole Hoban land-holder noted in Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards (1876), owning seven acres there.
The most famous bearer of the name was James Hoban (1762-1831), architect of the White House, Washington. This man was born outside Callan, Co Kilkenny.
He studied drawing under the Cork-born architect, Thomas Ivory, and in the school of the Dublin Society. He worked, probably as a joiner, on Dublin's Royal Exchange (City Hall) and the Custom House. He emigrated to America in 1785, where he won the design for the State Capitol at Columbia, which was completed successfully in 1791.
He won a competition for the President's House in Washington, later called the White House, a building which bore a striking resemblance to Leinster House in Dublin. He designed and built the Great Hotel at Washington (1793-95) and the Little Hotel in 1795.
After the destruction of the White House by the British in 1814 he was retained to rebuild it. He also designed and built the State and War Offices (A Dictionary of Irish Biography: Henry Boylan 1998). Co Kilkenny folk would not agree with MacLysaght that this man had been born in Co Carlow. He further informs us that "the place called Hoban's Bridge recalls the inexplicable explosion in 1826 whereby a carrier called Hoban lost his life".
Owen O'Kelly's The Place-Names of County Kilkenny notes: "The portion east of the partly destroyed old road running from Walkin Street corner south-westwards to Hoban's Bridge on the Kells road is now Maidenhill". Liosta∅ Logainmneacha: Cill Chainnigh Kilkenny gives Cnoc Mhairidin as the Irish for Maidenhill.
Burrishoole, the name of a parish and a barony in Co Mayo, derives from Buir∅os Umhaill, "the burgage of Umhall".