MacNamara, Mac Conmara
A Gaelic surname, son of Cu Mara meaning ‘hound of the sea’. A sept of Dál gCais, who derive their descent from Cairin son of Car, the ancestor of the Dál gCais. They were next to the ó Briain in power. Their original territory was Uí Caisin, corresponding to the present deanery of Ogashin and comprising nine parishes in the east of Clare. In later times they ruled over Upper and Lower Tulla, which from their clan name was known as Clann Chuiléin. They were hereditary marshals to ó Briain, whom they inaugurated. In 1890 McNamara was the ninety-fourth most numerous surname and the estimated number of bearers was 8,600. In that year the surname was chiefly found in Clare, Limerick, Mayo, Dublin and Cork. In the United States it is the 1,599th most numerous surname with an estimated 22,000 bearers.