McCarthy
A classic Irish surname meaning “son of Cárthach,” from an old Gaelic personal name associated with affection or friendship.
The #384 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,722 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McCarthy comes from Gaelic Mac Cárthaigh, meaning “son of Cárthach.” The personal name Cárthach is commonly explained from a Gaelic word meaning “loving” or “friendly,” though older scholars sometimes gave looser interpretations. In surname form, it identifies descent from an ancestor named Cárthach rather than describing the family directly.
History
The name is famously linked to the powerful MacCarthy dynasty of Munster in medieval Ireland, especially from the eleventh century onward. It became one of the major Irish surnames and remained strongly associated with Cork and Kerry. Like many Irish names, it often appears in both MacCarthy and McCarthy spellings in English records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In 19th-century American surname statistics, McCarthy was already one of the more common Irish names, reflecting the large Irish diaspora.
From the historical record
“thirteenth century, at Lochore, Scotland. MCCARTHY. The son of Carrthach, an Irish chieftain, who lived in the eleventh century. McCLIS. From Mac, son, and Olis, active, quick, ingenious. McCOUN. (Gaelic.) From Mac, son, and Ceann, head or chief; the son of the chief. McCRACKIST or McCHARRAIGIK The son of the rock…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names