MacCarthy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The many Irish surnames in use today have long rich histories behind them. The name MacCarthy originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Carthaigh, which is derived from the word "carthach," which means "loving."

Saint Carthach the Elder (d. 580?), appears in "the 'Felire' of Engus the Culdee (10th cent.) with the epithets of royal and Roman attached to his name. This is generally interpreted to mean that he was of royal ancestry, and had travelled to Rome [cf. Cainnech, Saint]. From the 'Vita Kierani' (Bollandist A. SS., March, v. 395) we gather that he was the grandson of Angus, king of Munster, who would seem to be the king whose death is recorded in the 'Four Masters' under the year 489. Colgan, however, noting that he was the brother of St. Cuanna, quotes from an old genealogy to show that he was the great-grandson of Neill of the Nine Hostages, who died about the year 405. In the 'Vita Kierani,' St. Carthach appears, before the death of St. Patrick, as one of St. Ciaran of Saighir's young disciples." 1

Saint Cathach the Younger (d. 636) also called Mochuda, was "the founder of the famous monastery at Rahen, and bishop of Lismore, was the son of Finnall (Annals Four Masters, sub an. 631). According to his legendary life, which, however, seems to have preserved much that is historical, he was born in Kerry, of the race of Fergus." 1

Early Origins of the MacCarthy family

The surname MacCarthy was first found in County Kerry and much of County Cork, in the area formerly known as Desmond. One of the oldest and most important of all Irish families, the MacCarthy family claim descent from Oilioll Olum, the 3rd century King of Munster who gave the region of Desmond to his son Eoghan after his death. Eoghan's descendants were known as the Eoghanacht, and the surname MacCarthy is derived from Carthach, an 11th century lord of this group who was killed when the Lonegans set his house on fire.

They were settled at Carrignavar where they were the Lords of Eoghannacht and Diarmod MacCarty Mor swore fealty to King Henry II thereby retaining his estates in Cork. Innumerable members of the family have been important in Irish history, especially those with the forenames Fineen, Florence or Justin, beginning with the Fineen MacCarthy who vanquished the Geraldines in 1261.

Several branches of the powerful MacCarthy sept existed, including MacCarthy Reagh, who held a family seat at Carbery in West Cork, and the Muskerry MacCarthys, who were based in the barony of Muskerry in that county. MacCarthy Mor of County Kerry, long thought to be extinct, has only recently been proven to still exist.

The McCarthy Reagh branch rose to become the Princes of Carbery in what is now southwestern County Cork in the 13th century. It is generally thought that Donal Reagh MacCarthy, the 5th Prince of Carbery, a quo MacCarthy Reagh, son of Donal Glas was the first to use Reagh is his surname. From this early listing, each subsequent prince continued to use Reagh in one form or another. As far as the early princes are concerned, we know very little. However from Finghin MacCarthy Reagh, the 8th Prince of Carbery from 1477 to his death in 1505, a solid genealogy has been determined.

Early History of the MacCarthy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacCarthy research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1446, 1455, 1490, 1492, 1562, 1576, 1583, 1585, 1588, 1589, 1591, 1593, 1594, 1596, 1612, 1628, 1640, 1646, 1665, 1668, 1694, 1698, 1733, 1734 and 1769 are included under the topic Early MacCarthy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacCarthy Spelling Variations

One name was often recorded under several different spellings during the life of its bearer because one must realize that attempting to record a Gaelic name in English is a daunting task at the best of times. Spelling variations revealed in the search for the origin of the MacCarthy family name include MacCarthy, MacCarty, MacArty, MacArthy and others.

Early Notables of the MacCarthy family

Notable among the family name at this time was

Donogh MacCarty (1594-1665), of the same line, was created the 1st Earl of Clancarty. Justin MacCarthy (d. 1694), was created 1st Viscount Mountcashel, he was a Jacobite general in the Williamite War...

MacCarthy migration to the United States +

The 18th and 19th centuries saw many Irish families immigrate to North America in search of land and opportunities. The largest influx of Irish immigrants to the United States and British North America came during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine laid waste to their homeland. Hundreds of thousands left the island in an attempt to escape the starvation and disease it brought. Although the arrival of such a large number of destitute Irish was not welcomed by the established population in the United States and what would become known as Canada at the time, these Irish were an essential element to the rapid development of these growing industrial nations. They filled the demand for the cheap labor needed for the work in factories and in the construction of bridges, roads, canals, and railways. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many immigrants bearing the name of MacCarthy or one of its variants:

MacCarthy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bryan MacCarthy, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 2
Bridget, Charles, Cornelius, Daniel, Denis, Florence, James, John, Michael,Owen, Patrick, Thomas, and William MacCarthy, who all, who arrived in Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860

MacCarthy migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

MacCarthy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Patrick MacCarthy, aged 28, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Maori" in 1864

Contemporary Notables of the name MacCarthy (post 1700) +

Eugene MacCarthy (b. 1916), American politician, U.S. Congressman and Senator
Marion Sumner MacCarthy (b. 1874), American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Alamos, 1908-11 3
Gloanna Wallace MacCarthy, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1936 (alternate), 1944 3
Terence Francis MacCarthy (b. 1957), Irish genealogist, historian, and writer, controversially styled "The MacCarthy Mór," the title for the Chieftain of the MacCarthy Clan, from to 1992-1999
Denis Florence MacCarthy (1818-1882), Irish poet
FIona MacCarthy OBE (1940-2020), British biographer and cultural historian
Sir Desmond MacCarthy (1878-1952), English writer and critic
Sir Thaddeus MacCarthy (1907-2001), New Zealand judge

The MacCarthy Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Forti et fideli nihil difficile
Motto Translation: Nothing is difficult to the brave and the faithful

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html