Show ContentsMcElhinny History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname McElhinny comes from the Irish Mac Giolla Chainnigh, meaning the son of a servant or devotee of St. Canice, also known as St. Kenny. The place name Kilkenny, is also derived from the saint; in Irish it is Cill Chainnigh, meaning the church of St. Canice.

Early Origins of the McElhinny family

The surname McElhinny was first found in County Derry, where the sept was of the Cenel Eoghain group.

Saint Cainnech or Cannicus (d. 598?), was "Abbot of Achadh-bo, and the patron saint from whom Kilkenny (Cill-Cainnech) receives its name, has been generally identified with the more famous St. Kenneth or Kenny, to whom so many Scotch churches have been dedicated. Most of the early authorities state that he died between 598 and 600 A.D., at the age of eighty-four. This gives from 514 to 516 as the year of his birth." 1

The St. Canice branch of whom they were originally followers, came from Dromachose, County Derry. Of this branch, David de Kilkenny, was Bishop of Achonry, County Sligo (1312 to 1344.) Ironically the name is not taken from the town in Leinster or the county named Kilkenny. References to the surname were rare throughout history. 2

Early History of the McElhinny family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McElhinny research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1690 and 1866 are included under the topic Early McElhinny History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McElhinny Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kilkenny, MacKilkenny, MacElhinny, MacElheeny, MacIlhenny and many more.

Early Notables of the McElhinny family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McElhinny Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McElhinny migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McElhinny Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • David McElhinny, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1806 3
  • Mrs. Jane Mcelhinny, aged 59, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
  • Miss Jane Mcelhinny, aged 27, Irish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
  • Maggie McElhinny, aged 25, originally from Donegal, who arrived in New York in 1899 aboard the ship "City of Rome" from Londonderry, Ireland 4
McElhinny Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Lehha McElhinny, aged 34, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Caronia" from London, England 4
  • Letitia McElhinny, aged 37, who arrived in New York in 1924 aboard the ship "Scythia" from Liverpool, England 4

Contemporary Notables of the name McElhinny (post 1700) +

  • Brad McElhinny, American publisher and editor of The Charleston Daily Mail, a Pulitzer Prize-winning morning newspaper in Charleston, West Virginia
  • Bonnie McElhinny, Canadian Professor of Anthropology and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Toronto
  • Chris McElhinny, Australian researcher with the Australian National University, School of Resources Environment and Society Canberra


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
  3. 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)
  4. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


Houseofnames.com on Facebook