What is "cambro-norman"

Cambro-Normans were Normans who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians prefer this term over Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 since many of them originated in Wales. Contemporary Irish accounts of this period simply called the incomers Saxain, which means "Saxon", i.e. "English".

The most prominent Cambro-Norman figure was Richard "Strongbow" de Clare, whose lands in Wales centred on Pembroke and who led the Norman invasion of Ireland.

In addition to such Cambro-Norman lords, some of Ireland's most common names, including Walsh and Griffith, came from indigenous Welsh families who came with the Norman invasion. (The surname "Walsh" itself, or in Irish Breathnach, "Briton", means "Welshman", and was applied by the Irish to Welsh who didn't have a surname). Other indigenous Welsh surnames such as Taaffe which came at this time became very important families within the Pale.

Probably the most well known Cambro-Norman surname, also called Hiberno-Norman, is FitzGerald (see also Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan). Other Cambro-Norman families include the Butlers, the Joyces and the Barretts.