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Irish surname

Cawley: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Amhalghaidh; Woulfe's Mac Amhlaoibh entry also lists Cawley · 'son of Amhalghaidh' (an ancient Irish personal name) per Mac Amhalghaidh; Woulfe's Mac Amhlaoibh entry gives 'son of Amhlaoibh' (an Irish form of the Norse Olaf)

Woulfe (1923) gives Cawley as an anglicised form under two headwords: Mac Amhalghaidh, 'son of Amhalghaidh' (an ancient Irish personal name), of which he writes that 'There are several distinct families of this name, the best known being that of Co. Westmeath, the head of which was formerly lord of Calraighe, comprising the whole of the parish of Ballyloughloe'; and Mac Amhlaoibh, 'son of Amhlaoibh' (an Irish form of the Norse Olaf), whose entry lists Cawley and Cowley among its general anglicised forms. Woulfe says of Mac Amhalghaidh: 'It is sometimes impossible to distinguish the anglicised forms of this surname from those of Mac Amhlaoibh.' In 1890 there were 17 Cawley birth entries in Ireland (10 in Mayo and 4 in Sligo) and 15 Cowley entries including spelling varieties, 14 of them spelled Cowley (principally found in Mayo).

Shop Cawley crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Cawley surname
Irish formMac Amhalghaidh; Woulfe's Mac Amhlaoibh entry also lists Cawley
Meaning'son of Amhalghaidh' (an ancient Irish personal name) per Mac Amhalghaidh; Woulfe's Mac Amhlaoibh entry gives 'son of Amhlaoibh' (an Irish form of the Norse Olaf)
CountiesMayo, Sligo
Other spellings4

Origin of the Cawley name

Woulfe's Mac Amhalghaidh entry: 'the best known' of 'several distinct families of this name' was 'that of Co. Westmeath, the head of which was formerly lord of Calraighe, comprising the whole of the parish of Ballyloughloe'. He adds: 'It is sometimes impossible to distinguish the anglicised forms of this surname from those of Mac Amhlaoibh.' His Mac Amhlaoibh entry lists Cawley and Cowley among its general anglicised forms, without tying them to any of its three named families (Cork, Fermanagh, Scotland).[1][2]

  1. 189017 Cawley birth entries in Ireland, and 15 Cowley entries including spelling varieties (14 spelled Cowley).[3][4][8]
  2. 1901Matheson's varieties list prints Cowely and Cowley as varieties reported for Cawley, with [Macaulay] in square brackets.[5][7]
  3. 1901Under the headword Macaulay, Matheson's list prints [Cawley] in square brackets, with Macauley, M'Alay, M'Cauley, M'Caughley and M'Gawley.[6][7]

Where in Ireland

Co. MayoMatheson: 10 of the 17 Cawley entries in 1890; Cowley was 'principally found' in Mayo.[3][4]
Co. Sligo4 of the 17 Cawley birth entries in Ireland in 1890.[3]

Other spellings

Cowley · MacCowley · MacCawley · Cowely[2][4]

Scottish connection

Woulfe's Mac Amhlaoibh entry also names 'Mac Amhlaoibh, anglicised MacAulay, of Scotland. The chief seat of this family was at Ardincaple, in Dumbartonshire. A branch of the family settled in Co. Antrim, and many of the MacAulays of the north of Ireland are of this stock. To it belonged also the celebrated Lord Macaulay.' Matheson's varieties list prints [Macaulay] in square brackets among the varieties reported for Cawley; by his own memorandum, a variety in brackets means 'it will be found also as a principal name'.[2][5][6][7]

The Cawley coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Cawley surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Cawley crest gifts

Clan Cawley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap UV15 Cawley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Cawley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Mccawley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapZJ90 Classic Cap - Mccawley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mccawley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Cawley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapEG56 Classic Cap - Cawley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Cawley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Cowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapSY33 Classic Cap - Cowley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Cowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Mccawley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap KJ38 Mccawley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Mccawley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Cowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap OZ16 Cowley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Cowley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Cawley surname: questions

Is Cawley the same name as Cowley?

Woulfe's Mac Amhlaoibh entry lists 'MacCawley, MacCowley, Cawley, Cowley' together among its anglicised forms, and his Mac Amhalghaidh entry also lists Cawley, adding that 'it is sometimes impossible to distinguish the anglicised forms of this surname from those of Mac Amhlaoibh.' Matheson's varieties index likewise groups Cawley with Cowely and Cowley.[1][2][5]

What does the surname Cawley mean?

Woulfe gives two possible Gaelic origins: Mac Amhalghaidh, 'son of Amhalghaidh' (an ancient Irish personal name), or Mac Amhlaoibh, 'son of Amhlaoibh' (an Irish form of the Norse Olaf) — and says telling the two apart in their anglicised forms is sometimes impossible.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Cawley name from?

Woulfe's Mac Amhalghaidh entry names a Co. Westmeath family whose head 'was formerly lord of Calraighe, comprising the whole of the parish of Ballyloughloe'. In 1890 Cawley was principally found in Mayo and Sligo, and Cowley in Mayo.[1][3][4]

Is Cawley related to the McAuliffes of Co. Cork?

Woulfe's Mac Amhlaoibh entry lists Cawley and Cowley among its general anglicised forms alongside MacAuliffe and MacCauliffe, but names the Co. Cork MacCarthy branch at Castle MacAuliffe specifically under the MacAuliffe form, not Cawley or Cowley.[2]

Is Cawley a Scottish name?

Woulfe's Mac Amhlaoibh entry also names a Scottish family: 'Mac Amhlaoibh, anglicised MacAulay, of Scotland. The chief seat of this family was at Ardincaple, in Dumbartonshire. A branch of the family settled in Co. Antrim, and many of the MacAulays of the north of Ireland are of this stock. To it belonged also the celebrated Lord Macaulay.' Matheson's varieties list prints [Macaulay] in square brackets among the varieties reported for Cawley, which in his memorandum means it 'will be found also as a principal name'.[2][5][6][7]

Sources

  1. Mac Amhalghadha, Mac Amhalghaidh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-amhalghadha-mac-amhalghaidh.php
  2. Mac Amhlaoibh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-amhlaoibh.php
  3. Cawley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/cawley.php
  4. Cowley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/cowley.php
  5. Cawley — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, list 263, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/263.php
  6. Macaulay — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, list 1146, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1146.php
  7. Memorandum explanatory of Alphabetical List - Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/memorandum.php
  8. Table Explanation - Birth Indexes of 1890 - Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).