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The surname McElhaney 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.
The surname McElhaney 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
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McElhaney research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1690 and 1866 are included under the topic Early McElhaney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Kilkenny, MacKilkenny, MacElhinny, MacElheeny, MacIlhenny and many more.
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McElhaney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name McElhaney is the 5,333rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3