Walsh is a common Irish
surname, meaning "
Briton" or "foreigner", literally "Welshman", taken to
Ireland by British (Welsh, Cornish and Cumbrian) soldiers during and after the
Norman invasion of Ireland. It is most common in
County Mayo and
County Kilkenny. It is the fourth most common surname in Ireland, and the 265th most common in the United States. There are variants including "Walshe", "Welsh", "Brannagh", and "Breathnach". Walsh is uncommon as a
given name. The name is often pronounced "Welsh" in the south and west of the country.