LOOBY Family History

Recorded as O'Luby, Luby, Lube and Looby, this is an ancient Irish surname. Originally recorded in the Gaelic as O' Lubaigh, it has the unusual meaning of 'The male descendant of the cunning one.' This is or was almost certainly a reference to the original chief of the clan, as 'nicknames' are the source of the vast majority of not just Irish, but all Gaelic surnames. The clan are believed to originate from County Tipperary, and particularly the baronies of Iffa and Offa. However there is also a place called Ballylooby or the place of the Looby's, and presumbly this is where the name originated in ancient times.