Origine et histoire

Derived from the Anglo-Norman 'le Poer' or 'le Poor', originally a nickname from Old French 'povre' (poor), in the medieval sense of 'humble' or 'pious' rather than materially destitute — a complimentary descriptor in an era when religious poverty was admired. The Powers arrived in Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion and established themselves in County Waterford and County Kilkenny, where they became one of the great Old English families, thoroughly gaelicised over generations. The name is most densely concentrated in the Munster province, particularly in Waterford and Tipperary.