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Irish surname

McEvoy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe; also Mac an Bheatha, Mac Giolla Bhuidhe, Mac Aodha Bhuidhe · Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe: a corruption of Mac Fhíodhbhadhaigh, 'son of Fíodhbhadhach' (i.e. of the wood, woodman)

Woulfe (1923) lists MacEvoy under Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe (a corruption of Mac Fhíodhbhadhaigh, 'son of Fíodhbhadhach', i.e. of the wood, woodman), a family of Leix who were anciently chiefs of Tuath-Fiodhbhuidhe. He also lists MacEvoy under three other Irish names. In 1890, Ireland's birth indexes held 99 entries for McEvoy and its spelling varieties (85 spelled McEvoy), chiefly in Dublin, Louth, Armagh and Queen's.

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Coat of arms associated with the McEvoy surname
Irish formMac Fhíodhbhuidhe; also Mac an Bheatha, Mac Giolla Bhuidhe, Mac Aodha Bhuidhe
MeaningMac Fhíodhbhuidhe: a corruption of Mac Fhíodhbhadhaigh, 'son of Fíodhbhadhach' (i.e. of the wood, woodman)
CountiesDublin, Louth, Armagh, Queen's
Other spellings5

Origin of the McEvoy name

Woulfe: Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe was 'the name of a family in Leix, who were anciently chiefs of Tuath-Fiodhbhuidhe, which appears to have been situated in the barony of Stradbally.' He also lists MacEvoy under Mac an Bheatha ('often disguised as MacAvoy, MacEvoy'), Mac Giolla Bhuidhe (which 'originated in Co. Mayo') and the very rare Mac Aodha Bhuidhe.[1][2][3][4]

  1. 189099 entries incl. varieties (85 as McEvoy); chiefly Dublin, Louth, Armagh, Queen's.[5][7]

Where in Ireland

Co. DublinFirst county named for McEvoy births in 1890.[5]
Co. LouthAmong the four principal McEvoy counties in 1890.[5]
Co. ArmaghAmong the four principal McEvoy counties in 1890.[5]
Co. Queen'sNamed by Matheson among the four principal McEvoy counties in 1890.[5]

Other spellings

MacEvoy · MacAvoy · MacVoy · Evoy · M'Avoy[1][6]

The McEvoy coat of arms

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

McEvoy crest gifts

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McEvoy surname: questions

What does the surname McEvoy mean?

Woulfe gives the main McEvoy name, Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe, as a corruption of Mac Fhíodhbhadhaigh, 'son of Fíodhbhadhach', i.e. of the wood, woodman.[1]

Is McEvoy an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe lists MacEvoy and MacAvoy under Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe of Leix, and also among the anglicised forms of Mac an Bheatha (whose forms, he says, are often assimilated to those of Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe), Mac Giolla Bhuidhe and Mac Aodha Bhuidhe.[1][2][3][4]

Where in Ireland is the McEvoy name from?

Woulfe's Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe were anciently chiefs of Tuath-Fiodhbhuidhe in Leix, apparently in the barony of Stradbally. In 1890 McEvoy birth entries (including spelling varieties) were found chiefly in Dublin, Louth, Armagh and Queen's.[1][5][7]

Are McEvoy and McAvoy the same name?

Woulfe lists MacEvoy and MacAvoy together under the same Irish names, and Matheson's 1901 varieties list gives MacAvoy and M'Avoy under M'Evoy, meaning the spellings were found or reported to be used interchangeably in Irish registration records.[1][6][8]

Sources

  1. Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macf/mac-fhiodhbhuidhe.php
  2. Mac an Bheatha, Mac an Bheathadh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-an-bheatha-mac-an-bheathadh.php
  3. Mac Giolla Bhuidhe — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-bhuidhe.php
  4. Mac Aodha Bhuidhe — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-aodha-bhuidhe.php
  5. McEvoy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcevoy.php
  6. M'Evoy — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1320.php
  7. 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
  8. 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

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