McElhaney
An Irish surname meaning “son of Elhaney,” ultimately from a Gaelic personal name of uncertain origin.
The #8,547 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 80,131 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McElhaney is an Anglicized Irish surname built on Mac, meaning “son of,” plus a personal name usually rendered Elhaney or Elhany. The second element is generally treated as an English spelling of an older Gaelic given name, but its exact original form and meaning are uncertain. In practice, the surname is one of several Irish names that were reshaped into English-looking spellings over time.
History
The name is associated with Irish families whose surnames were recorded in varied spellings after Anglicization. In North America, McElhaney and its close variants became established through Irish migration, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. Because spellings were not standardized, related families may appear under several forms in records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
McElhaney is a good example of an Irish surname whose modern English spelling preserves the family name more clearly than its original Gaelic personal name.