Ireland is a country enriched with a blend of mythology, history, and lyrical language. Irish last names, particularly those starting with ‘Mc,’ tell tales of clans, family ties, and the verdant landscapes of the Emerald Isle. Below, we take a closer look into these surnames beginning with ‘Mc’ and discover the meaning of each one.
What are Irish Last Names Starting with ‘Mc’?
Irish last names, especially those commencing with ‘Mc,’ are deeply rooted in Gaelic traditions and indicate “son of,” stemming from the Gaelic prefix “Mac.” Such surnames reflect family lineage or the occupation of an ancestor. Like a clover in the meadow, they stand out with their distinct Gaelic sound and their profound connection to Irish history and culture. These surnames are intriguing as they preserve the older forms and spellings that might have evolved in contemporary Gaelic.
The intriguing aspect of Irish surnames, particularly those starting with ‘Mc,’ is the transformation they underwent during the times of Anglicization. Names were often phonetically translated into English, leading to diverse spellings of the same original name. Yet, despite the modifications, these names still echo the ancient Gaelic rhythm and richness. For instance, ‘McCarthy,’ meaning ‘son of Carthach’, Carthach being an old Gaelic name meaning ‘loving,’ ‘McDonnell,’ stemming from ‘son of Dónall,’ meaning ‘world ruler,’ and MacGabhann meaning ‘son of (the) smith’ a surname denoting an occupation, are notable examples of these surnames. Below, we present a curated collection of the most common Irish last names beginning with ‘Mc.’
Irish Last Names Starting with ‘Mc’
Below is our comprehensive compilation of the most common Irish surnames that start with ‘Mc,’ encapsulating lineage, legacy, and significance imbued in these names.
- Mcadams – Son of Adam
- Mcafee – Son of Dubhshíth
- Mcalister – Son of Alasdair
- McAllen – Son of Ailín
- Mcallister – Son of Alasdair
- McAloon – Son of Luan
- McAndrew – Son of Andrew
- McArdle – Son of Ardghal, meaning high valor
- Mcarthur – Son of Arthur
- McAuley – Son of Aulay
- McAuliffe – Son of Olaf
- McBeth – Son of Life
- McBey – Son of the yellow-haired one
- Mcbride – Son of Brighid
- McBryde – Son of Bríghid
- Mccabe – Son of the cape, meaning hooded one
- McCafferty – Son of the loving one
- Mccaffrey – Son of the cupbearer
- Mccain – Son of Cathán
- Mccall – Son of Cathal
- Mccallister – Son of Alasdair
- Mccallum – Son of Colum
- McCamley – Son of Amhalghaidh
- McCamus – Son of Thomas
- McCandless – Son of the candle keeper
- McCane – Son of Cathán
- Mccann – Son of Cana, meaning wolf cub
- McCants – Son of the brilliant one
- McCarron – Descendant of Ciarán, meaning little dark one
- McCartan – Son of Artán
- Mccarter – Son of Artair
- Mccarthy – Son of the loving
- Mccartney – Son of Art
- Mccarty – Son of Art
- McCaughey – Son of Eachaidh
- McCaul – Son of Paul
- Mccauley – Son of Aulay
- McCausland – Son of the stronghold
- McCavana – Son of Beathanaigh
- Mcclain – Son of Flann
- Mcclanahan – Son of Flannachán
- McClaren – Son of Laurence
- McCleary – Son of the clerk
- Mcclellan – Son of Gillan
- Mcclelland – Son of Lachlann
- Mcclendon – Son of Cléirchín
- Mcclintock – Son of the bald man
- Mccloskey – Son of Lughaidh
- Mccloud – Son of Clodhna
- Mcclung – Son of Long
- Mcclure – Son of Glúaire
- McCluskey – Son of the shy one
- McCoist – Origin uncertain
- McColgan – Son of Colgan
- Mccollum – Son of Colum
- Mccombs – Son of Thomas
- Mcconnell – Son of Conaill
- Mccool – Son of Cú Uladh
- Mccord – Son of Cuarta
- Mccorkle – Son of the purple one
- Mccormack – Son of Cormac
- Mccormick – Son of Cormac, meaning charioteer
- McCotter – Son of the otter
- McCourt – Son of the short one
- McCowan – Son of Comhghán
- Mccoy – Son of Aodh, meaning fire
- Mccracken – Son of Crócan
- Mccrary – Son of Ruaidhrí
- Mccray – Son of Máire
- Mccreary – Son of Ruadh
- McCrossin – Son of the cross
- Mccue – Son of Aodh
- McCullagh – Son of Coileach, meaning cock or rooster
- Mcculloch – Son of Cú Uladh
- Mccullough – Son of Cu Uladh
- Mccune – Son of Cuán
- Mccurdy – Son of Cuthbert
- Mccurry – Son of the hero
- Mccutcheon – Son of Eachdhún
- Mcdade – Son of David
- McDaid – Son of David
- Mcdaniel – Son of Dónall
- Mcdaniels – Son of Dónall
- McDavid – Son of David
- McDermid – Son of Diarmaid
- Mcdermott – Son of Diarmaid, meaning without envy
- Mcdevitt – Son of David
- McDiarmid – Son of Diarmaid
- McDonagh – Son of Donnchadh
- Mcdonald – Son of Dòmhnall
- Mcdonnell – Son of Donal
- Mcdonough – Son of Donnchadh
- Mcdougal – Son of Dubhghall
- Mcdowell – Son of Dubhghaill
- Mcduffie – Son of Dubhthach
- McElhinney – Son of servant of St. Eighneach
- McElligott – Son of the devotee of God
- McElrath – Son of the servant of the red one
- Mcelroy – Son of Red King
- McEnany – Son of the bird
- McEnroe – Son of Ambrose
- McEntee – Son of the jeering one
- McEvoy – Son of Eimhín
- Mcewen – Son of Eóghan
- Mcfadden – Son of little Patrick
- Mcfall – Son of the ruler
- McFalls – Son of the ruler
- Mcfarland – Son of Partholán
- Mcfarlane – Son of Partholán
- McGahon – Son of Eachdóna
- McGann – Son of Gann, meaning light-skinned
- McGarry – Son of Fhearadhach, meaning manly brave
- Mcgee – Son of Aodh
- McGettigan – Son of Giartán
- Mcghee – Son of Aodh
- Mcgill – Son of the servant of the foreigner
- McGillicuddy – Son of the servant of Coillte
- McGinley – Son of Coindealbhach, meaning valiant
- McGinn – Fair, meaning white
- Mcginnis – Son of Finghin
- McGinty – Son of the birdlike one
- McGlennon – Son of Lennon
- McGlynn – Son of Fhloinn, meaning red or crimson
- McGoff – Son of Eochaidh
- McGoldrick – Son of the devotee of St. Ulrich
- Mcgovern – Son of the blacksmith
- Mcgowan – Son of the blacksmith
- McGowen – Son of the smith
- McGrady – Son of Grádaigh
- McGrane – Son of Gráinne
- Mcgrath – Son of grace
- Mcgraw – Son of Graeme
- Mcgregor – Son of Griogair
- Mcgrew – Son of Gréagóir
- McGrogan – Son of Gruagán
- McGruder – Son of the red one
- McGuinness – Son of Aonghus
- Mcguire – Son of the brown one
- McGuirk – Son of Uirc
- McGurn – Son of the servant
- McGwire – Son of Guíre
- McHale – Son of Ceallach
- McHarg – Son of the stallion
- Mchenry – Son of Eanraig
- Mchugh – Son of Hugh
- McIlhenny – Son of Elatha
- McIlroy – Son of Ruairí
- McInerney – Son of Enda, meaning birdlike
- Mcinnis – Son of Angus
- Mcintire – Son of an-t-Saoir
- Mcintosh – Son of an Toiseach
- Mcintyre – Son of the carpenter
- McIvor – Son of Iomhar
- Mckay – Son of Aodh
- McKechnie – Son of Eachdóna
- Mckee – Son of Aodh
- Mckeever – Son of the craftsman
- Mckelvey – Son of Cailbhe
- Mckenna – Son of Cionnaith, meaning born of fire
- Mckenney – Son of Coinneach
- Mckenzie – Son of Coinneach
- McKeogh – Son of Eochaidh
- Mckeon – Son of Eoin
- Mckeown – Son of fire
- McKiernan – Son of Tighearnán
- Mckinley – Son of Fionnlagh
- Mckinney – Son of Coinneach
- Mckinnon – Son of Fhionghuin
- Mcknight – Son of Knight
- Mckoy – Son of Aodh
- Mclain – Son of Flann
- McLaren – Son of Laurence
- McLarty – Son of Art
- McLaughlan – Son of Lochlainn
- Mclaughlin – Son of Lochlann
- Mclaurin – Son of Laurence
- Mclean – Son of Gillean
- Mclemore – Son of Oighre
- Mclendon – Variation of McLindon, created from Fionnán, meaning white
- McLennan – Son of Lennon
- Mcleod – Son of Leod
- McLoughlin – Son of Lochlainn
- Mcmahan – Son of Mathghamhna
- Mcmahon – Son of a bear
- Mcmanus – Son of Magnus
- McMenamin – Son of Meanma
- Mcmichael – Son of Michael
- Mcmillan – Son of Maolán
- Mcmillen – Son of Maolán
- Mcmillian – Son of Maolán
- McMorrow – Son of Murchadh
- Mcmullen – Son of Maolán
- McMurphy – Son of Sea Warrior
- Mcmurray – Son of Muireadhach
- Mcnabb – Son of an Aba
- Mcnair – Son of an Eir
- Mcnally – Son of the poor man
- Mcnamara – Son of the hound of the sea
- McNamee – Son of the hound of Meath
- Mcneal – Son of Niall
- Mcneely – Son of Niall
- Mcneil – Son of Niall
- Mcneill – Son of Niall
- McNevin – Son of Cnaimhin
- McNicholas – Son of Nicholas
- Mcnulty – Son of Ultaigh, meaning Ulsterman
- Mcnutt – Son of a Knot
- McPhee – Son of Aodh
- Mcpherson – Son of Partholán
- McPhillips – Son of Philip
- McQuaid – Son of Wat or Uad
- Mcqueen – Son of Suibhne, meaning pleasant
- McQuillan – Son of cub
- Mcrae – Son of grace or prosperity
- Mcreynolds – Son of Gráinne’s servant
- McShane – Son of John
- McSweeney – Son of the Swiss man
- Mcvay – Son of Mac Béithe
- Mcvey – Son of Béith
- McWain – Son of John
- McWhirter – Son of the spinner
- Mcwhorter – Son of a Laborer or Servant
- Mcwilliams – Son of William
There are McWittys, McWhitty’s in County Wexford, Waterford, and Wicklow, FYI.
McQuitty’s too !