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Irish surname

McGrath: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mag Raith · 'son of Mac Raith' (son of grace, or prosperity; a not uncommon Irish personal name)

McGrath and Magrath come from Mag Raith (also written Mac Craith), 'son of Mac Raith'. Woulfe (1923) names a Donegal family who were erenaghs of Termon Magrath at Lough Derg, a Thomond family of hereditary poets to the O'Briens, and a Scottish family in Kintail, some of whom settled in the north of Ireland. He adds that the name is very common all over Ireland.

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Coat of arms associated with the McGrath surname
Irish formMag Raith
Meaning'son of Mac Raith' (son of grace, or prosperity; a not uncommon Irish personal name)
CountiesDonegal, Waterford, Fermanagh
Other spellings10

Origin of the McGrath name

Woulfe lists a Donegal family whose head was coarb of St. Daveog (erenagh of Termon Magrath) at Lough Derg, with a castle near Pettigo; a Thomond family, hereditary poets and chroniclers to the O'Briens; and a Scottish family in Kintail, some of whom settled in the north of Ireland. The Magraths were also once influential in Co. Waterford.[1]

  1. 1570–71Miler Magrath becomes Archbishop of Cashel and Bishop of Emly.[5]
  2. 1622Miler Magrath dies at Cashel and is buried in the cathedral.[5]
  3. 1923Woulfe records the name as 'now very common all over Ireland'.[1]

Where in Ireland

Co. DonegalErenaghs of Termon Magrath at Lough Derg; their castle, Tearmann Mhic Craith, is in Templecarn parish.[1][4]
Co. WaterfordWoulfe: the Magraths were 'at one time an influential family' here.[1]
Co. FermanaghBirthplace of Archbishop Miler Magrath, according to Webb (1878).[5]

Notable people named McGrath

Miler Magrathc.1522–1622Born in Fermanagh; former Franciscan who became Protestant Archbishop of Cashel, holding the see for fifty-two years.[5]

Other spellings

Magrath · Magragh · MacGrath · MacGragh · Megrath · Magraw · MacGraw · Megraw · MacGra · MacCraith[1]

Scottish connection

Woulfe lists, as the third family of the name, a Scottish family in Kintail (see Mac Raith), some of whom settled in the north of Ireland.[1][3]

The McGrath coat of arms

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

McGrath crest gifts

Clan Mcgrath Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapAX51 Classic Cap - Mcgrath Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mcgrath Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan McGrath Tartan Crest Black Garden FlagMcGrath Tartan Crest Black Garden Flag£28.00Clan McGrath Tartan Crest Garden FlagMcGrath Tartan Crest Garden Flag£28.00Clan McGrath Tartan Crest Garden FlagMcGrath Tartan Crest Garden Flag - Celtic Thistle£28.00

McGrath surname: questions

What does McGrath mean?

Woulfe explains McGrath (Mag Raith) as 'son of Mac Raith', a not uncommon Irish personal name meaning 'son of grace, or prosperity'.[1]

Is McGrath Irish or Scottish?

Both. Woulfe names Irish families of the name in Donegal and Thomond and an influential family in Co. Waterford, and also a Scottish family in Kintail, some of whom settled in the north of Ireland. He calls the name very common all over Ireland.[1]

Are McGrath and Magrath the same name?

Yes. Woulfe lists Magrath, MacGrath, Magraw, MacGraw, Megrath and others as forms of Mag Raith, also written Mac Craith.[1][2]

Where is Termon Magrath?

Woulfe says Termon Daveog, at Lough Derg, is now called Termon Magrath, and that the head of the Donegal Magraths lived at the Castle of Termon Magrath, at the northern extremity of Lough Erne, about half a mile west of Pettigo. The Placenames Database lists the castle, in Irish Tearmann Mhic Craith, in Templecarn parish, barony of Tirhugh, Co. Donegal.[1][4]

Sources

  1. Mag Raith — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mag/mag-raith.php
  2. Mac Craith — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-craith.php
  3. Mac Raith — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macr/mac-raith.php
  4. Tearmann Mhic Craith / Termon Magrath (castle, Templecarn parish, Co. Donegal), Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). logainm.ie/en/111456
  5. Archbishop Miler Magrath — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ArchbishopMilerMagrath.php