Show ContentsMcGoff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of the McGoff surname is Mag Eochagain, a patronymic derived from the personal name Eochaidh.

Early Origins of the McGoff family

The surname McGoff was first found in the county of Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, in the barony of Moycashel at Kilbeggan where they held a family seat from ancient times. Traditionally, the McGoffs are said to descend from Fiacha, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Early History of the McGoff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGoff research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1186, 1291, 1580, 1600, 1603, 1650, 1689, 1702, 1749, 1763 and 1800 are included under the topic Early McGoff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGoff Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name McGoff revealed spelling variations, including Geoghegan, Gagahan, Gahagan, Gahaghan, Gaghan, Gegan, MacGeoghegan, Geohan and many more.

Early Notables of the McGoff family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was Conal MacGeoghegan (circa 1580-1650) Chief of the sept MacGeoghegan, historian who translated the Annals of Clonmacnoise; James MacGeoghegan (1702-1763) of Westmeath, an ordained priest in Paris, who wrote a "History of Ireland;" and Edward Geoghegan of Dublin was one of the most eminent surgeons of his time (early 1800s).Usher Gagahan (d. 1749), was an Irish classical scholar, belonged to a good family of Westmeath, Ireland; was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, but took...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGoff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McGoff migration to the United States +

In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of McGoff:

McGoff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas McGoff, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Co. Mayo, in 1893
McGoff Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Peter McGoff, aged 18, who landed in America from Crossmolina, Ireland, in 1906
  • Mary McGoff, aged 19, who landed in America from Ballina, Ireland, in 1908
  • Dennis McGoff, aged 57, who landed in America from Govan, Scotland, in 1910
  • Kate McGoff, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from BallyhAunis, Ireland, in 1913
  • Pat McGoff, aged 23, who immigrated to America from Crossmolina, Ireland, in 1915
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McGoff (post 1700) +

  • Laurel McGoff (b. 1995), American actress
  • Dennis McGoff, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, 1911 [1]
  • Ruairi McGoff (b. 1984), English rugby league player


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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