Home › Irish Surnames › McManus

Irish surname

McManus: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Maghnuis; Mac Maghnusa · 'son of Maghnus' (Latin 'Magnus', a name brought into Ireland by the Northmen, anglicised Manus)

Woulfe (1923) gives McManus as Mac Maghnuis or Mac Maghnusa, 'son of Maghnus', the name of two distinct families: one in Roscommon descended from a son of Turlough Mór O'Connor, King of Ireland, and one in Fermanagh descended from a son of Donn Maguire, chief of Fermanagh. In 1890 McManus births were found principally in Fermanagh.

Shop McManus crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the McManus surname
Irish formMac Maghnuis; Mac Maghnusa
Meaning'son of Maghnus' (Latin 'Magnus', a name brought into Ireland by the Northmen, anglicised Manus)
CountiesFermanagh, Roscommon
Other spellings3

Origin of the McManus name

Two families (Woulfe): (1) a Roscommon family descended from Maghnus, son of Turlough Mór O'Connor, King of Ireland, formerly seated in Tirhoohil; (2) a Fermanagh family descended from Maghnus, son of Donn Maguire, chief of Fermanagh. The head of the Fermanagh family lived at Senadh Mic Maghnusa, now Belle Isle, in Lough Erne.[1]

  1. 1181Roscommon line: from Maghnus, son of 'Turlough Mor O'Connor, King of Ireland, who was slain in the year 1181'.[1]
  2. 1302Fermanagh line: Maghnus, son of Donn Maguire, chief of Fermanagh, 'who died in 1302'.[1]
  3. 1498Annals of Ulster, written at Senat-Mac-Magnus (Belle Isle), carried to the compiler's death.[6]
  4. 1690'MAC MANUS' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[4]
  5. 1848Terence Bellew MacManus tried for high treason at Clonmel, 9 October; condemned to death.[5]
  6. 1861MacManus buried in Glasnevin, 10 November, amid a great nationalist demonstration.[5]
  7. 1890138 McManus births registered (incl. varieties), principally in Fermanagh.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. FermanaghOnly county Matheson names for 1890; 30 McManus births there, second to Maguire. Belle Isle seat.[2][3][1]
Co. RoscommonHome of the MacManus family descended from Turlough Mór O'Connor, formerly seated in Tirhoohil.[1]

Notable people named McManus

Terence Bellew MacManusborn c. 1823Young Irelander; joined Smith O'Brien in 1848, transported to Tasmania, escaped to California.[5]

Other spellings

MacManus · MacManis · Manus[1]

The McManus coat of arms

The name appears as 'MAC MANUS' 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 McManus is entitled to a coat of arms.[4]

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

McManus crest gifts

Clan Mcmanus Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapKY15 Classic Cap - Mcmanus Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mcmanus Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Macmanus Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapLE22 Classic Cap - Macmanus Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Macmanus Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45

McManus surname: questions

What does the surname McManus mean?

Woulfe gives Mac Maghnuis, 'son of Maghnus'. Maghnus is the Latin 'Magnus', a name the Northmen adopted in honour of Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus) and brought into Ireland, anglicised Manus.[1]

Where in Ireland is the McManus name from?

Woulfe names two families: one in Roscommon (Tirhoohil) and one in Fermanagh, whose head lived at Belle Isle in Lough Erne. In 1890 McManus births were found principally in Fermanagh.[1][2]

Is McManus an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe gives it as the Irish Mac Maghnuis or Mac Maghnusa, the name of a Roscommon family descended from Maghnus, son of Turlough Mor O'Connor, and of a Fermanagh family descended from Maghnus, son of Donn Maguire. The personal name Maghnus itself came into Ireland with the Northmen.[1]

Who was Terence Bellew MacManus?

A Young Irelander who joined Smith O'Brien in 1848, was condemned to death at Clonmel (commuted to transportation for life), escaped from Tasmania to California in 1851, and was buried in Glasnevin in 1861.[5]

Sources

  1. Mac Maghnuis, Mac Maghnusa — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macm/mac-maghnuis-mac-maghnusa.php
  2. McManus — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcmanus.php
  3. 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
  4. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  5. Terence Bellew MacManus — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/TerenceBellewMacManus.php
  6. Cathal Maguire — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/CathalMaguire.php

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