Show ContentsMcAnally History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of McAnally was Mac an Fhailghigh, which is derived from the word failgheach, which means poor man.

Early Origins of the McAnally family

The surname McAnally was first found in counties Armagh and Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) located in the Northern part of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McAnally family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McAnally research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1653, 1680 and 1697 are included under the topic Early McAnally History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McAnally Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name McAnally revealed spelling variations, including McNally, McAnully, McAnalley, McAnally and others.

Early Notables of the McAnally family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McAnally Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McAnally Ranking

In the United States, the name McAnally is the 6,905th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


McAnally migration to the United States +

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the McAnally name:

McAnally Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary McAnally, aged 16, Irish settler who arrived in New York in 1846 aboard the ship "Stephen Whitney"
  • Patrick McAnally, who arrived in New York in 1855 2
  • Hugh McAnally, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 2
  • Bernard, James, Michael and William McAnally all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860
  • James McAnally, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
McAnally Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Margaret McAnally, aged 33, who settled in America from Tmiscarthy, Ireland, in 1910
  • Thomas McAnally, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Addingston, Scotland, in 1911
  • William McAnally, aged 22, who landed in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1912
  • Henrietta McAnally, aged 21, who immigrated to America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1912
  • Daniel McAnally, aged 55, who settled in America from Lynone, Ireland, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McAnally migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McAnally Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Patrick McAnally, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Jane McAnally, aged 25, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Silvester McAnally, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Peter McAnally, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
  • James McAnally, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
McAnally Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Gertrude McAnally, aged 40, who immigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1922
  • Joseph McAnally, aged 43, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1922

McAnally migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McAnally Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Stephen McAnally, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "South Sea"

McAnally 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:

McAnally Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Bridget McAnally, aged 17, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1873

Contemporary Notables of the name McAnally (post 1700) +

  • Shane McAnally (b. 1974), American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer, born in Mineral Wells, Texas
  • Vice Admiral John Henry Stuart McAnally (b. 1945), former American Royal Navy officer who became Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies
  • Ernest Lee McAnally (b. 1946), American retired professional baseball player
  • Lyman Corbitt "Mac" McAnally Jr. (b. 1957), American country music singer-songwriter
  • Ronald L. McAnally (b. 1932), American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse racing trainer
  • John A. McAnally, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Missouri 10th District, 1934 3
  • Beverly McAnally, American politician, Mayor of Romulus, Michigan, 1983-95 3
  • Raymond McAnally (1926-1989), Irish actor
  • David Rica McAnally, Methodist clergyman and educator


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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