The Irish diaspora expanded significantly during the 19th century due to the Great Famine.

diaspora 源自希腊语，由前缀 dia-（表示"穿过、分散"）和动词 speirein（"播种、散布"）组成，字面意思是"分散播种"。在现代英语中特指"某个民族或文化群体大规模分散到世界各地的情况"，常译为"散居群体"或"移民潮"。