McCaffree History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of McCaffree

There are multitude of rich histories underlying the many Irish surnames in use today. The name McCaffree originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Gafraidh. Gafraidh or Gothraidh equates with the English personal name Godfrey. Variations that start with the prefix Mac or Mc mean son of Godfrey.

Early Origins of the McCaffree family

Early History of the McCaffree family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCaffree research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1987 is included under the topic Early McCaffree History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCaffree Spelling Variations

Ireland in the Middle Ages was inhabited by very few literate people. Therefore, the proper spelling of names was decided by a very select few. The surviving records for the time demonstrate that these scribes were often not consistent in their efforts for there are many spelling variations of certain common names. Some of the variations for the name McCaffree include MacCaffery, MacCaffrey, MacCafferty, MacAffery, MacAffry, MacAfferty, MacGoffrey, MacGodfrey and many more.

Early Notables of the McCaffree family

More information is included under the topic Early McCaffree Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McCaffree family

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the late 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape such hunger and disease. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name McCaffree: Biddy MacCafferty who settled in Newcastle in 1804; Arthur, Charles, Daniel, Edward, Henry, Hugh, James, John, Patrick, and Robert MacCafferty all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860.