The surname Walsh is a location name, more recognisable in the rarer form Welsh. Walsh derives from the Old English words ‘walh’, ‘wealh’ and ‘welise’, all of which mean ‘a man from Wales’. However, the original meaning was much wider than our geographical interpretation and covered anyone who was a Briton, Celt, Welshman, or even just a foreigner. Much as once the word Gaul had more than French Gallic connotations-the French still call Wales Pays de Galles, and the native language of Scotland and Ireland is Gaelic.

The name Walsh is now mainly of Irish origin, and in Gaelic is written Breatnach (which means Welshman). This Gaelic name has sometimes been re-anglicised as Brannagh or Brannick-so anyone with these names is, in a way, a Walsh. However, the Irish Walshes have no family clan and are scattered all over the country. Theirs is easily the most numerous name which has no sept (or family clan), being the fourth most popular last name-and this suggests that they may originally have been foreigners, probably of Briton origin.

The surname Walsh has a large number of variations. The most widespread of these are Welch (found chiefly in East Anglia and the West Country), Welshman, Walch and Welchman.

Wallace and Wallis are almost certainly the Scottish versions of this name. Though here again a Wallace would probably have been a man of Briton origin, rather than what we would call Welsh.

The surname Walsh has long been widespread in the country, and appears in many early records. The earliest reference to this name yet noted is in the 1273 Wiltshire Assize Rolls where one Henry le Waleis is listed.

To ‘welsh’ on a deal means to fail to keep a promise to fulfil an obligation, notably a bet. The saying first arose in Ireland where emigrating Welshmen kept to themselves and were not trusted.

Welsh rarebit has been a favoured British dish for over 200 years.

Nicholas Welsh (d. 1585) as the Irish Bishop of Ossory had the Protestant service printed in Gaelic, which dramatically increased the number of converts. He was stabbed to death by a parishioner he had condemned for adultery.

Henry le Walleis served a remarkable three terms as Lord Mayor of London (1273, 1281-1283, 1298), while Sir Cullum Welch was Mayor in 1966.

The first pure still life-a partridge, gauntlets and arrows pinned against a wall-was painted in 1504 by Jacobo de Barbari. When this Venetian painter moved to Germany, as a guest and adviser to Dürer, he took on the name Walch.

The United Kingdom has 3 Walsh-related place names, the picturesquely named Walsham Le Willows, Walsham and Walshfort. Canada has 2 towns called Walsh while the United States has but one and no other towns which are related. Curiously few major geographic features are namesakes. Walsh river and Walsh mountain in Canada are exceptions.

In England, Scotland and Wales Walsh is not common enough to be counted separately. In Ireland with about 44,000 name­sakes Walsh is the 4th most popular surname. Around the world Walsh’s are most common in Sydney (one in 904 families), Canberra (one in 1,045) and Melbourne (one in 1,101). In the United States there are an estimated 119,000 Walsh’s-making this the country’s 214th most popular surname.