McDonaghy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

All Irish surnames have underlying meanings that can be traced back to their fullest points when the names first appeared in a Gaelic form. The name McDonaghy originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Donnchadha, which means son of Donnchadh or son of Donagh.

Early Origins of the McDonaghy family

The surname McDonaghy was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McDonaghy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McDonaghy research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1698, 1728, 1746, 1779, 1850, 1878 and 1916 are included under the topic Early McDonaghy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDonaghy Spelling Variations

Lacking standardized spellings, scribes and church officials recorded people's name according to how they sounded. This practice often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname McDonaghy are preserved in the archival documents of the period. The various spellings of the name that were found include Donaghey, McDonogh, McDonnogh, McDonagh and many more.

Early Notables of the McDonaghy family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McDonaghy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDonaghy migration to the United States +

Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination at that time. Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the McDonaghy family name:

McDonaghy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hector McDonaghy, who arrived at the port of Philadelphia in 1819

McDonaghy migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McDonaghy Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Ann McDonaghy, who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1849

The McDonaghy 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: Virtutis gloria merces
Motto Translation: Glory is the reward of valour.