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Irish surname

McGirr: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac an Gheairr, Mac an Ghirr · 'son of the short, or low-sized, man' (Irish gearr and giorr)

Woulfe (1923) gives McGirr under Mac an Gheairr and Mac an Ghirr, 'son of the short, or low-sized, man'. He says the first 'may be regarded as the Connacht form' and that the second is the Ulster form. In 1890, 9 of the 12 McGirr birth entries in Ireland were in Ulster, principally Tyrone.

Shop McGirr crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the McGirr surname
Irish formMac an Gheairr, Mac an Ghirr
Meaning'son of the short, or low-sized, man' (Irish gearr and giorr)
CountiesTyrone, Armagh, Sligo, Leitrim
Other spellings7

Origin of the McGirr name

Woulfe: Mac an Gheairr, which 'may be regarded as the Connacht form', 'was formerly common in Sligo and Leitrim, and is now well known in Mayo'; Mac an Ghirr, the Ulster form, 'was common in Armagh and Tyrone'. 'The family is supposed to be of Scottish origin, but is, more probably, an offshoot of some native family.'[1]

  1. 189012 McGirr birth entries in Ireland, 9 of them in Ulster.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. TyroneWoulfe: the Ulster form was common in Tyrone; Matheson: the county in which McGirr was principally found in 1890.[1][2]
Co. ArmaghWoulfe: Mac an Ghirr, the Ulster form, was common in Armagh.[1]
Co. SligoWoulfe: the Connacht form was formerly common in Sligo.[1]
Co. LeitrimWoulfe: the Connacht form was formerly common in Leitrim.[1]
Co. MayoWoulfe: the Connacht form is now well known in Mayo.[1]

Other spellings

MacGirr · MacGarr · MacGerr · Gayer · M'Gayer · M'Eghir · M'Iyear[1]

Scottish connection

Woulfe: 'The family is supposed to be of Scottish origin, but is, more probably, an offshoot of some native family.'[1]

The McGirr coat of arms

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

McGirr crest gifts

Clan Macgirr Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapKK97 Classic Cap - Macgirr Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Macgirr Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

McGirr surname: questions

What does the surname McGirr mean?

Woulfe gives it as 'son of the short, or low-sized, man', from the Irish gearr and giorr.[1]

Is McGirr Irish or Scottish?

Woulfe says the family is 'supposed to be of Scottish origin, but is, more probably, an offshoot of some native family'.[1]

Where in Ireland is McGirr from?

Woulfe says the Connacht form was formerly common in Sligo and Leitrim and is now well known in Mayo, and the Ulster form was common in Armagh and Tyrone. In 1890, 9 of 12 McGirr birth entries were in Ulster, principally Tyrone.[1][2]

Is McGirr the same as Short?

Woulfe lists Short as a translation of the name. This page does not say that every Short descends from this family.[1]

Sources

  1. Mac an Gheairr, Mac an Ghirr — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-an-gheairr-mac-an-ghirr.php
  2. McGirr — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcgirr.php

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