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Irish surname

McHugh: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Aodha · 'son of Aodh' (a common Irish personal name, now anglicised Hugh)

Woulfe (1923) gives MacHugh as one of the anglicised forms of Mac Aodha, 'son of Aodh', which he calls a very common surname, especially in Ulster and Connacht, borne by several distinct families. In Matheson's 1890 births index, where the name is spelled McHugh, 176 births were registered in Ireland, mostly in Connaught and Ulster, chiefly Mayo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Galway and Leitrim.

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Coat of arms associated with the McHugh surname
Irish formMac Aodha
Meaning'son of Aodh' (a common Irish personal name, now anglicised Hugh)
CountiesMayo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Galway
Other spellings1

Origin of the McHugh name

Mac Aodha, 'son of Aodh'. Woulfe says 'there are several distinct families so called'. One, in the barony of Clare, Co. Galway, was of the same stock as the O'Flahertys and chief of Clann Choscraigh. The same Irish name is also anglicised MacKay, MacKee, MacCoy, Hughes and other forms.[1]

  1. 1690'Mac Hugh' listed among Irish septs in Terry's Book of Arms.[5]
  2. 1890176 births registered in Ireland, 81 in Connaught and 73 in Ulster.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. MayoFirst county named for 1890 McHugh births; 34 entries.[2][3]
Co. DonegalSecond county named for 1890 births.[2]
Co. FermanaghNamed for 1890 births; 20 McHugh entries.[2][4]
Co. GalwayMac Aodha chiefs of Clann Choscraigh in the barony of Clare; named for 1890 births.[1][2]
Co. LeitrimNamed for 1890 births; 19 McHugh entries.[2][3]

Other spellings

MacHugh[1]

Scottish connection

Woulfe lists MacKay among the anglicised forms of Mac Aodha, the same Irish name as McHugh, and notes that the MacKays of Strath-naver were a well-known Scottish clan, some of whom are 'doubtless' found among the MacKays of the north of Ireland. He does not say that any McHugh family is of Scottish origin.[1]

The McHugh coat of arms

The name appears as 'MAC HUGH' 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 McHugh is entitled to a coat of arms.[5]

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

McHugh crest gifts

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McHugh surname: questions

What does the surname McHugh mean?

Woulfe gives MacHugh as an anglicised form of Mac Aodha, 'son of Aodh', a common Irish personal name now anglicised Hugh.[1]

Is McHugh Irish or Scottish?

Woulfe gives Mac Aodha as 'a very common surname, especially in Ulster and Connacht'. He links the Scottish MacKays of Strath-naver only to some MacKays in the north of Ireland, not to McHugh.[1]

Where in Ireland is McHugh from?

In 1890 most McHugh births were in Connaught (81) and Ulster (73), chiefly in Mayo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Galway and Leitrim. Woulfe places one Mac Aodha family in the barony of Clare, Co. Galway.[2][1]

Are McHugh and Hughes the same name?

Woulfe lists both MacHugh and Hughes among the anglicised forms of Mac Aodha, 'son of Aodh'. He also gives Hughes as an anglicised form of a different name, Ó hAodha, 'descendant of Aodh', which he says 'is generally anglicised Hughes in the North and Hayes in the South'.[1][6]

Sources

  1. Mac Aodha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-aodha.php
  2. McHugh — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mchugh.php
  3. Registration Province of Connaught (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/connaught-names.php
  4. Registration Province of Ulster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/ulster-names.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. Ó hAodha – Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oh/o-haodha.php

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