Ó hÍcidhe is the original Irish Gaelic form of the surname Hickey. Derived from the Gaelic Ó hÍcidhe, it means "descendant of the healer."Origin and meaningThe name traces back to the personal name Ícidhe, which likely refers to a healer or physician. In ancient Irish society, healers were highly respected, and surnames based on occupations were common. The prefix Ó denotes "grandson" or "descendant," thus Ó hÍcidhe originally identified a family lineage of healers.Anglicization and distributionDuring the 17th and 18th centuries, Irish names were systematically anglicized for administrative convenience and due to English cultural pressure. Ó hÍcidhe was anglicized to Hickey, which is now the more widely recognized form. Today, variations of the surname—including Ó hÍcidhe, Hennessy, and others—remain primarily among diaspora communities in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and other English-speaking nations.