Irish Surnames
Irish names are used on the island of Ireland as well as elsewhere in the Western World as a result of the Irish diaspora. See also about Irish names.
472 surnames in our directory
Irish
472EtymologyMagorian is an anglicized Irish surname, likely a variant of McGowan or McGovern. These names derive from the Irish Mac Ghabhann, meaning "son of the smith." The root gabha (genitive ghabhann) is Irish for "smit...
Mag Raith is the Gaelic form of the anglicized surname McRae, meaning "son of Rath." The personal name Rath derives from a Gaelic word meaning "prosperity" or "grace." This surname is primarily found in Ireland and Scotl...
Mag Shamhradháin is the original Irish Gaelic form of the surname McGovern. Both are derived from the Old Irish personal name Samhradhán, which means "summer" (a diminutive of samhradh, "summer"). The Gaelic prefix Mac (...
Mag Uidhir is the original Irish Gaelic form of the surname commonly anglicized as McGuire or Maguire. The name derives from the Gaelic Mac Uidhir, meaning "son of Odhar," where the personal name Odhar translates to "pal...
Maguire is an Irish surname, derived as a variant of McGuire, itself the anglicized form of the Gaelic Mag Uidhir, meaning “son of Odhar.” The personal name Odhar means “pale-colored” or “sallow,” thought by some to desc...
Mahoney is an Irish surname with deep roots in Gaelic history. The name is the Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Mathghamhna, meaning "descendant of Mathgamain."EtymologyThe personal name Mathgamain is derived from Old Iris...
Malley is an Irish surname that originated as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Máille, meaning "descendant of a nobleman," from the Irish mál, "noble" or "chieftain." The name is historically associated with Count...
Mallon is an Irish surname, primarily a variant of Malone. The name Malone derives from the Gaelic Ó Maoil Eoin, which means “descendant of a follower of John” (from maol “follower, devotee” and Eoin, the Irish form of J...
Malloye is a variant of the Irish surname Molloy. Like Molloy, Malloye is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Maolmhuaidh or possibly Ó Maol Aodha. The meaning is rooted in the name Maolmhuadh, a given name that t...
The surname Manning 2 is an anglicized form of the Irish Ó Mainnín, meaning "descendant of Mainchín".Etymology and OriginThe root name Mainchín is a given name derived from Old Irish manach "monk" combined with a diminut...
Markey is an Irish surname, anglicized from the original Gaelic Ó Marcaigh, meaning “descendant of Marcach.” The given name Marcach itself is derived from the Irish word for “horse rider” or “horseman,” and was a byname...
McAdams is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin, meaning "son of Adam" in Gaelic. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Adhaimh, where mac means "son of" and Adhamh is the Gaelic form of Adam. The surname is found...
McAfee is an Irish and Scottish surname that originated as an Anglicized form of MacDhubhshìth, the Scottish Gaelic version of the Irish patronymic name Mac Dhuibhshíthe. This Gaelic name means "son of Duibhshíth", with...
McAlister is an Irish and Scottish surname, derived from the Gaelic Mac Alasdair meaning “son of Alasdair.” The personal name Alasdair is a Gaelic form of Alexander, ultimately from the Greek Alexandros, which means “def...
McBride is a common Irish surname with deep roots in Gaelic culture and Christian tradition. It is an Anglicized form of the original Gaelic Mac Giolla Bhrighde, meaning "son of the servant of Brighid." The name reflects...
EtymologyMcCabe is the anglicized form of Mac Cába (Irish) and MacCàba (Scottish Gaelic). The prefix Mac- means “son of”, while Cába is a byname derived from the word for “cape” or “cloak”, ultimately from Latin cappa. T...
McCarthy is an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of the Irish Mac Cárthaigh, meaning "son of Carthach". The personal name Carthach derives from the Irish word meaning "loving" and was borne by two early Irish saints fro...
McCauley is an anglicized surname of Irish and Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the patronymic Mac Amhalghaidh or Mac Amhalghadha, meaning "son of Amhalghaidh." The personal name Amhalghaidh comes from Old Irish Amal...
McCleary is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cléirich, which in turn comes from the Gaelic Mac Cléirigh meaning "son of the clerk" or "son of the priest." The name originated in Galway, Ireland, but today it i...
McClellan is a Scottish surname, a variant of McClelland. The name ultimately derives from the Gaelic Mac Giolla Fhaoláin, meaning "son of the servant of Faolán." Faolán itself means "little wolf," stemming from Old Iris...
McClelland is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Giolla Fhaoláin meaning "son of the servant of Faolán." The name Faolán itself means "little wolf" from Old Irish fáel "wolf" plus a dimin...
McConnell is a Scottish and Irish surname that originated as an anglicized form of the Gaelic MacDhòmhnaill, meaning “son of Donald.” It is thus a variant of the much more common surname MacDonald, and the two names are...
McCormick is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Cormaic, meaning “son of Cormac.” The name Cormac comes from Old Irish Cormacc or Corbmac, composed of corb (“chariot, wagon”) or corbbad (...
McCracken is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It is an Anglicized form of Mac Reachtain, an Ulster Irish variant of Mac Neachtain, meaning "son of Nechtan." The personal name Nechtan, from which the lineage derive...
Origin and Etymology McCreery is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin, representing a variant of the more common McCrory. Both names derive from the Gaelic Mac Ruaidhrí, meaning "son of Ruaidhrí." The personal name Rua...
McCrory is an Irish and Scottish surname that was anglicized from the Gaelic Mac Ruaidhrí, meaning “son of Ruaidhrí.” The personal name Ruaidhrí derives from Old Irish elements rúad (“red”) and rí (“king”), thus signifyi...
McCullough is an Irish and Scottish surname with roots in Gaelic personal names. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Mac Cú Uladh, meaning "son of Cú Uladh". The byname Cú Uladh translates to "hound of Ulster", a promi...
McCune is an Anglicized surname of Irish origin, representing the modern form of Mac Eoghain, meaning "son of Eoghan". The name is primarily found in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora, notably in the United States. Et...
McDermott is an Irish surname, the anglicized form of the Old Gaelic name Mac Diarmada (or Mac Diarmata), meaning "son of Diarmaid." The personal name Diarmaid, from which the surname descends, has an uncertain etymology...
McDevitt is an Irish surname, derived from the Gaelic Mac Daibhéid, meaning "son of Dáibhí". Dáibhí is the Irish form of David, a name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved" or "uncle". The surname is primarily associated wi...
McElligott is an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic Mac Uileagóid, meaning "son of Uileagóid." Uileagóid is a diminutive of the personal name Uilleag, which itself may derive from the Old Norse Huglei...
McFarland is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin, a variant of McFarlane. The McFarlane surname itself is an Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic MacPhàrlain or Irish Gaelic Mac Pharlain, meaning "son of Parthalán." The...
McFarlane is an Anglicized surname derived from the Scottish Gaelic MacPhàrlain or the Irish Gaelic Mac Pharlain, meaning "son of Parthalán". The Gaelic personal name Parthalán itself is believed to have originated from...
McFee is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin, an Anglicized form of MacDhubhshìth, the Scottish Gaelic version of the Irish Mac Dhuibhshíthe, meaning "son of Duibhshíth." The personal name Duibhshíth itself combines e...
McGee is an English-language surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Mac Aodha, meaning "son of Aodh". In Irish mythology and history, Aodh (from Old Irish Áed) means "fire", and was a...
McGill is an Irish and Scottish surname, derived from the Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac an Ghoill, meaning "son of the foreigner". This patronymic surname traces its roots to the Gaelic word gall, which originally referr...
McGinnis is a surname of Irish origin, being a variant of McGuinness. Both names are anglicized forms of the Irish Mag Aonghuis, meaning "son of Aonghus." The root name Aonghus derives from Old Irish Óengus, which is com...
McGough is an Irish surname, a variant of Gough, which itself is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Gough or Mag Eochadha. Etymology The root of the name McGough lies in the Old Irish personal name Eochaidh, meaning "h...
McGovern is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Mag Shamhradháin, meaning "son of Samhradháin." The personal name Samhradháin is derived from the Irish word samhradh (summer). The clan was historically centere...
McGowan is an Irish and Scottish surname. It is an Anglicized form of Mac Ghabhann (Irish) and Mac Gobhainn (Scottish Gaelic), both meaning 'son of the smith'. The name derives from the occupational nickname gobha, 'blac...
McGuinness is an Irish surname, the anglicized form of the Gaelic Mag Aonghuis or Mac Aonghuis, meaning "son of Aonghus." The root name Aonghus (also anglicized as Angus) derives from Old Irish elements óen "one" and gus...
McGuire is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mag Uidhir, meaning "son of Odhar." The Irish forename Odhar derives from a word meaning "pale-colored" or "sallow". The name originated as a patronymic surname belongin...
McIver is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin. It is an Anglicized form of Gaelic MacIomhair, meaning "son of Íomhar." The Gaelic personal name Íomhar, in turn, is an Irish form of the Old Norse name Ivor, which was p...
McKee is a surname of Scottish or Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Mac Aodha, meaning "son of Aodh". The personal name Aodh comes from Old Irish Áed, which means "fire" and was borne by numerous figures in Irish my...
McKeever is a Scottish and Irish surname, derived from the Gaelic Mac Íomhair, meaning "son of Íomhar." It is a variant of the more common McIver and MacIver, all sharing the same root: the Gaelic personal name Íomhar, w...
McKinney is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It is a variant of McKenna, and both are Anglicized forms of the Gaelic patronymic Mac Cionaodha, meaning "son of Cionaodh." The personal name Cionaodh is thought to be...
McKowen is an Irish surname, representing an Anglicized form of Mac Eoghain. This Gaelic patronymic means "son of Eoghan," a personal name of ancient origin in Ireland. The name Eoghan itself has a debated etymology: it...
McMahon is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Mathghamhna, meaning "son of Mathgamain". The personal name Mathgamain is Old Irish for "bear", from the elements math ("bear") and gamuin ("calf"). The name thus li...
Etymology and OriginsMcManus is an Irish surname, Anglicized from the Irish Gaelic Mac Maghnuis, meaning "son of Mághnus." Mághnus is an Irish form of the Latin name Magnus, which means "great." The name Magnus gained po...
McNab is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac an Aba, meaning "son of the abbot". This surname originates in both Irish and Scottish Gaelic cultures, where the prefix “Mac” denotes “son of” and “aba” refers to an...
McNabb is a Scottish surname, a variant of McNab. Like McNab, which is an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac an Aba meaning "son of the abbot," McNabb ultimately originates from a clan associated with ecclesiastical office. T...
McNamara is an Irish surname, the anglicized form of Mac Conmara, deriving from the Irish Mac Conmara meaning "son of Conmara". The given name Conmara itself is composed of the elements cú ("hound") and muir ("sea"). His...
McNaughton is an Anglicized form of the Irish Mac Neachtain, meaning "son of Nechtan." The surname is common in both Irish and Scottish contexts, reflecting the historical spread of the Gaelic name across the Irish Sea....
McNee is an Irish surname, derived from the Anglicized form of Mac Niadh, which means "son of Niadh" in Irish. The personal name Niadh translates to "champion."EtymologyThe name originates from the Gaelic patronymic syst...
McNeill is a Scottish and Irish surname, a variant of McNeil. Like McNeil, McNeill originated as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic patronymic MacNèill, meaning "son of Niall." The name Niall itself is an Irish name of dis...
McNiven is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cnáimhín. The original Gaelic name means "son of Cnámh," where the personal name Cnámh translates to "bone." This etymology contrasts with a superficially similar Sc...
EtymologyMcReynolds is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic patronymic prefix Mac meaning "son of" combined with the personal name Reynold. Thus, the surname literally means "son of Reynold." T...
McSheehy is an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Síthigh, meaning "son of Sítheach." The personal name Sítheach carries two possible meanings: "peaceful" or "fairy-like," deriving from Old Irish síd (fa...
Meaney is an Irish surname, a variant form of O'Mooney. The name O'Mooney itself derives from the Irish Ó Maonaigh, meaning "descendant of Maonaigh", where the given name Maonaigh signifies "wealthy". Thus, the surname M...
Milligan is an Irish surname that originated as the Anglicized form of the Irish Ó Maolagáin, meaning 'descendant of Maolagán'. The personal name Maolagán is a diminutive derived from maol, a Gaelic word meaning 'bald' o...