O'Donoghue
Donoghue or O'Donoghue is an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of the Gaeilge Ó Donnchadha or Ó Donnchú.
Etymology
The name means MEANS ‘descendant of Donnchadh’, a personal name composed of the elements donn = ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘lord’ + cath = ‘battle’. Dochartach which means hurtful or obstructive. Spelling variations (which include an initial "Ó" or omit it) include Donoghue, Donaghoe, Donoughe, Donaho, Donahoe, Donough, Donahue, Donahow, Doneghoe, Donehue, Donighue, Donoho, Donohoe, Donahugh, Donohough, Donohow, Donahue, Donohue, Donaughue, Donaghie, Donaghy, Doughue, Dougue and many more. Some of these variations exist also in Northern Ireland and Scotland, with the same elemental meaning in Scots Gaelic.
Different septs
There are several completely different O'Donoghue families in Ireland.
(1) The Ó Donnchadha of Cashel, from the Eóganacht Chaisil, related to the MacCarthys and O'Callaghans. They descend from Donnchad mac Cellacháin, King of Munster.
(2) The Ó Donnchadha of Desmond, from the Eóganacht Raithlind, related to the O'Mahonys, prominent in County Kerry and referred to as "O'Donoghue Mór." They descend from Donnchadh mac Domhnall.