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Irish surname

McCarthy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Cárthaigh · 'son of Cárthach' (Old Celtic Caratacos, loving, an ancient Irish personal name)

McCarthy is an anglicised form of Mac Cárthaigh, 'son of Cárthach'. Woulfe (1923) calls the MacCarthys the chief family of the Eoghanacht and Kings of Desmond, or South Munster, before the Anglo-Norman invasion, later seated in Cork and Kerry. In Matheson's 1890 survey McCarthy was the 13th commonest surname in Ireland, with about 22,300 people, more than half of the births being in Cork.

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Coat of arms associated with the McCarthy surname
Irish formMac Cárthaigh
Meaning'son of Cárthach' (Old Celtic Caratacos, loving, an ancient Irish personal name)
CountiesCork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary
Other spellings5

Origin of the McCarthy name

Chief family of the Eoghanacht, descendants of Eoghan Mor, son of Oilioll Olum, King of Munster in the 3rd century. Named from Cárthach, lord of the Eoghanacht, who died in 1045. Kings of Desmond before the Anglo-Norman invasion; then driven from the plains of Tipperary into Cork and Kerry.[1]

  1. 1045Death of Cárthach, lord of the Eoghanacht, from whom the name comes.[1]
  2. 1565Donal MacCarthy, the MacCarthy More, created Earl of Clancar.[1]
  3. 1589Florence MacCarthy Reagh committed to the Tower of London, 10 February.[7]
  4. 1689Justin MacCarthy created Viscount Mountcashel, early May.[8]
  5. 1690'Ma Carty' listed among Irish septs in Terry's Book of Arms.[5]
  6. 1890498 births registered in Ireland, 438 of them in Munster, chiefly Cork.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. CorkMacCarthy Reagh was lord of Carbery in West Cork; Cork had 'more than one-half' of McCarthy births in 1890.[1][4]
Co. KerryMacCarthy More 'resided chiefly in Kerry'; second county named for 1890 births.[1][4]
Co. LimerickThird county named by Matheson for McCarthy births in 1890.[4]
Co. TipperaryWoulfe says the MacCarthys were driven from the plains of Tipperary after the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]

Notable people named McCarthy

Cormac MacCarthy, Lord of Muskerryd. 1536Defeated James, 11th Earl of Desmond, in 1522; his father Cormac Ladir built Blarney castle.[6]
Florence (Fineen) MacCarthy Reaghc.1563–c.1640Tanist of Carbery, styled MacCarthy Mor; held in detention by the Crown until his death.[7]
Justin MacCarthy, Viscount Mountcasheld. 1694Lieutenant-General; for James II he was defeated at Newtownbutler in 1689, then led Irish troops in French service.[8]

Other spellings

MacCarthy · MacCartie · MacCarty · MacArthy · MacCarha[1]

The McCarthy coat of arms

The name appears as 'MA CARTY' in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as printed by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named McCarthy is entitled to a coat of arms.[5]

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

McCarthy crest gifts

Clan Maccarthy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap GO95 Maccarthy Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Maccarthy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Mccarthy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapFU72 Classic Cap - Mccarthy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mccarthy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Maccarthy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapPD38 Classic Cap - Maccarthy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Maccarthy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan McCarthy Coat of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap VQ92 Classic Cap - Ahearne Coat of Arms Classic Cap 3D Irish Cap McCarthy Coat of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

McCarthy surname: questions

What does the surname McCarthy mean?

Woulfe gives McCarthy as an anglicised form of Mac Cárthaigh, 'son of Cárthach', from the Old Celtic Caratacos, 'loving', an ancient Irish personal name.[1]

Where in Ireland is McCarthy from?

Munster. Woulfe says the MacCarthys were Kings of Desmond (South Munster) and, after the Anglo-Norman invasion, settled in Cork and Kerry. In 1890 more than half of McCarthy births were in Cork, followed by Kerry and Limerick.[1][4]

What were the main branches of the MacCarthys?

Woulfe names three great branches: MacCarthy More, who lived chiefly in Kerry; MacCarthy Reagh, lord of Carbery in West Cork; and MacCarthy of Muskerry, with numerous minor branches.[1]

How common is McCarthy in Ireland?

In Matheson's survey of the 1890 Births Index, McCarthy was 13th of the hundred principal surnames, with an estimated 22,300 people.[3]

Is every McCarthy descended from the Kings of Desmond?

The sources do not say so. Woulfe also prints '(MacCarthy, MacCaffry)', in brackets, among the anglicised forms of a different surname, Mac Eachmharcaigh, 'son of Eachmharcach', which he calls a Donegal surname.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Mac Cárthaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-carthaigh.php
  2. Mac Eachmharcaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mace/mac-eachmharcaigh.php
  3. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  4. McCarthy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mccarthy.php
  5. Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  6. Cormac MacCarthy — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/CormacMacCarthy.php
  7. Florence MacCarthy Reagh — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/FlorenceMacCarthyReagh.php
  8. Justin MacCarthy, Viscount Mountcashel — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JustinMacCarthyViscountMountcashel.php

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