Welch Family Crest, Coat of Arms & Welch Name Origin

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Origin of the Name Welch

The origin of the name Welch was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. The names Welch and Walsh are taken from the translation of the Gaelic word Breathnach, meaning 'Welsh'. Variants include Walshe, Brannagh, Welsh, Walch, Walsman and Walshman. They descend from Philip the Welshman and his brother David, who came with the Cambro-Norman invasion in the year 1172. They established themselves as landed Gentry at Castlehowel, County Kilkenny, at Ballykileavan, County Leix, at Ballyrichmore, County Waterford and at Bray and Carrickmines near Dublin. The most closely associated territory of the name was in County Kilkenny where the Walsh mountains bear their name. The name was recorded in England, in a Johannes Walesman, in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire, in the year 1379. James Walsh commanded the ship which brought James II to France after the Battle of the Boyne. Brannagh is another anglicized variant of the Gaelic form of the name.