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Irish surname

MacGee: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mag Aodha, Mag Aoidh · Woulfe gives no meaning for these entries; he calls Mag Aodha, Mag Aoidh a variant of Mac Aodha and Mac Aoidh

Woulfe (1923) prints MacGee and Magee under Mag Aodha, Mag Aoidh, which he calls a variant of Mac Aodha and Mac Aoidh and 'a very common surname in Ulster', where there are 'doubtless, several families of distinct origin so called'. He also prints (MacGee, Magee) in brackets under Mac Gaoithe, 'now merged in Mag Aoidh', a Donegal surname in the 16th century. Matheson's 1890 birth index has 193 Magee and McGee entries, 150 of them in Ulster.

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Coat of arms associated with the MacGee surname
Irish formMag Aodha, Mag Aoidh
MeaningWoulfe gives no meaning for these entries; he calls Mag Aodha, Mag Aoidh a variant of Mac Aodha and Mac Aoidh
CountiesWestmeath, Donegal, Antrim
Other spellings6
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Origin of the MacGee name

Woulfe: Mag Aodha, Mag Aoidh is 'a very common surname in Ulster, where there are, doubtless, several families of distinct origin so called. A family of this name were chiefs of Muinntear Tlamain in Co. Westmeath, where they are still represented.' He prints (MacGee, Magee) in brackets under Mac Gaoithe, 'a Donegal surname in the 16th century', now merged in Mag Aoidh.[1][2]

  1. 1690'MAC GEES' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[4]
  2. 1890193 entries for Magee (138) and McGee (55); 150 in Ulster.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. WestmeathWoulfe: a Mag Aodha family were chiefs of Muinntear Tlamain there.[1]
Co. DonegalMatheson 1890: McGee principally found in Donegal and Tyrone.[3]
Co. AntrimMatheson 1890: Magee in Antrim, Armagh and Down.[3]

Notable people named MacGee

Thomas D'Arcy McGee1825–1868Journalist and statesman, born at Carlingford 13 April 1825; killed at Ottawa 7 April 1868.[5]

Other spellings

Magee · MacGhee · MacGhie · Gee · Ghee · McGee[1]

The MacGee coat of arms

'MAC GEES' is printed in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as reproduced by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named MacGee is entitled to a coat of arms.[4]

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the MacGee 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.

MacGee surname: questions

Is MacGee the same as Magee?

Woulfe prints MacGee and Magee together among the forms of Mag Aodha, Mag Aoidh, and prints (MacGee, Magee) in brackets under Mac Gaoithe, which he says is now merged in Mag Aoidh.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Magee or McGee name from?

Woulfe calls Mag Aodha a very common surname in Ulster, with a family who were chiefs of Muinntear Tlamain in Co. Westmeath. In 1890 Matheson found Magee in Antrim, Armagh and Down, and McGee in Donegal and Tyrone.[1][3]

Are all the MacGees one family?

No. Woulfe says that in Ulster there are, 'doubtless, several families of distinct origin so called'.[1]

Sources

  1. Mag Aodha, Mag Aoidh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mag/mag-aodha-mag-aoidh.php
  2. Mac Gaoithe — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-gaoithe.php
  3. Magee — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/magee.php
  4. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  5. McGee, Thomas D'Arcy — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ThomasDArcyMcGee.php

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