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McCarthy History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

McCarthy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of McCarthy

What does the name McCarthy mean?

The many Irish surnames in use today have long rich histories behind them. The name McCarthy originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Carthaigh, which is derived from the word "carthach," which means "loving."

Saint Carthach the Elder (d. 580?), appears in "the 'Felire' of Engus the Culdee (10th cent.) with the epithets of royal and Roman attached to his name. This is generally interpreted to mean that he was of royal ancestry, and had travelled to Rome [cf. Cainnech, Saint]. From the 'Vita Kierani' (Bollandist A. SS., March, v. 395) we gather that he was the grandson of Angus, king of Munster, who would seem to be the king whose death is recorded in the 'Four Masters' under the year 489. Colgan, however, noting that he was the brother of St. Cuanna, quotes from an old genealogy to show that he was the great-grandson of Neill of the Nine Hostages, who died about the year 405. In the 'Vita Kierani,' St. Carthach appears, before the death of St. Patrick, as one of St. Ciaran of Saighir's young disciples." 1

Saint Cathach the Younger (d. 636) also called Mochuda, was "the founder of the famous monastery at Rahen, and bishop of Lismore, was the son of Finnall (Annals Four Masters, sub an. 631). According to his legendary life, which, however, seems to have preserved much that is historical, he was born in Kerry, of the race of Fergus." 1

Early Origins of the McCarthy family

The surname McCarthy was first found in County Kerry and much of County Cork, in the area formerly known as Desmond. One of the oldest and most important of all Irish families, the MacCarthy family claim descent from Oilioll Olum, the 3rd century King of Munster who gave the region of Desmond to his son Eoghan after his death. Eoghan's descendants were known as the Eoghanacht, and the surname MacCarthy is derived from Carthach, an 11th century lord of this group who was killed when the Lonegans set his house on fire.

They were settled at Carrignavar where they were the Lords of Eoghannacht and Diarmod MacCarty Mor swore fealty to King Henry II thereby retaining his estates in Cork. Innumerable members of the family have been important in Irish history, especially those with the forenames Fineen, Florence or Justin, beginning with the Fineen MacCarthy who vanquished the Geraldines in 1261.

Several branches of the powerful MacCarthy sept existed, including MacCarthy Reagh, who held a family seat at Carbery in West Cork, and the Muskerry MacCarthys, who were based in the barony of Muskerry in that county. MacCarthy Mor of County Kerry, long thought to be extinct, has only recently been proven to still exist.

The McCarthy Reagh branch rose to become the Princes of Carbery in what is now southwestern County Cork in the 13th century. It is generally thought that Donal Reagh MacCarthy, the 5th Prince of Carbery, a quo MacCarthy Reagh, son of Donal Glas was the first to use Reagh is his surname. From this early listing, each subsequent prince continued to use Reagh in one form or another. As far as the early princes are concerned, we know very little. However from Finghin MacCarthy Reagh, the 8th Prince of Carbery from 1477 to his death in 1505, a solid genealogy has been determined.

Early History of the McCarthy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCarthy research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1446, 1455, 1490, 1492, 1562, 1576, 1583, 1585, 1588, 1589, 1591, 1593, 1594, 1596, 1612, 1628, 1640, 1646, 1665, 1668, 1694, 1698, 1733, 1734 and 1769 are included under the topic Early McCarthy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCarthy Spelling Variations

The spelling of one's surname was not as important as it is today. Names were recorded as they sounded and in many cases, one's surname changed with each listing. As a result, surnames often had many spelling variations. For McCarthy some of these variations included: MacCarthy, MacCarty, MacArty, MacArthy and others.

Early Notables of the McCarthy family

Notable among the family name at this time was

Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy (c. 1455-1492), an Irish ecclesiastic who never ruled his see, Bishop of Ross, Ireland in 1492 and Bishop of Cork and Cloyne in 1490, his feast day is 25 October; and Charles...

McCarthy World Ranking

In the United States, the name McCarthy is the 409^th most popular surname with an estimated 67,149 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name McCarthy is ranked the 391^st most popular surname with an estimated 11,867 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name McCarthy is the 170^th popular surname with an estimated 18,434 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks McCarthy as 259^th with 2,360 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks McCarthy as 271^st with 22,290 people. 6

McCarthy migration to the United States +

Irish families fled the English-colonized Ireland in record numbers during the 19th century for North America. Many of those destitute families died from disease during, and even shortly after, the long journey. Although those that immigrated before the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s often were granted a tract of land, those that arrived later were generally accommodated in urban centers or in work camps. Those in the urban centers would labor in the manufacturing sector, whereas those in work camps would to build critical infrastructures such as bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Regardless of when these Irish immigrants came to North America, they were critical for the rapid development of the young nations of the United States and Canada. Early immigration and passenger lists have recorded many early immigrants bearing the name of McCarthy:

McCarthy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William McCarthy, who landed in New England in 1729 7
Alexander McCarthy, recorded in the New York Colonial Muster Rolls in 1760

McCarthy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Florence McCarthy, who arrived in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1808 7
Dennis McCarthy, who landed in New York in 1834 7
Justin McCarthy, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1839 7
Jeremiah McCarthy, who landed in Mississippi in 1840 7
Miss Ann Mccarthy, aged 5, British settler who arrived in New Orleans aboard the ship "Hanover" on 2nd May 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCarthy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Delia Mary McCarthy, who landed in Alabama in 1924 7

McCarthy migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCarthy Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mrs. Mary McCarthy U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 80 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 20, 1783 at East River, New York, USA 8
Miss. Sarah McCarthy D. U.E. (b. 1773), aged 9 who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 17 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 20, 1783 at East River, New York, USA 8
Mr. Dennis McCarthy U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 382 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York, USA 8
Mr. Isaiah McCarthy U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 8

McCarthy Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Redmond McCarthy, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1816
Catherine McCarthy, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1821
John McCarthy, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1823
Jeremiah McCarthy, and his family, who settled in Renfrew, Ontario, Canada in 1825
Thomas McCarthy, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1828
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCarthy migration to Australia +

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

McCarthy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Daniel McCarthy, Irish convict who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. David McCarthy, Irish convict who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. Denis McCarthy, Irish convict who was convicted in Waterford, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Miss Mary McCarthy, (McCarding), English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Callighan McCarthy, Canadian covict who was convicted in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCarthy 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:

McCarthy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Julia McCARTHY, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
John McCARTHY, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Joseph Michael McCarthy, aged 27, a shoemaker, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Mary Ann McCarthy, aged 22, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842
Mr. Patrick Mccarthy, British settler arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Sir George Symour" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th November 1847 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCarthy (post 1700) +

Kevin Owen McCarthy (b. 1965), American Republican politician, House Minority Leader (2019-2023), 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (2023), Leader of the House Republican Conference (2019)
John Philip McCarthy AO (1942-1981), American-born, former Australian diplomat, Ambassador to Vietnam (1981-1983), Ambassador to Mexico (1985-1987), Ambassador to Thailand (1992-1994), Ambassador to the United States (1995-1997)
Cormac McCarthy (1933-2023), born Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr., an American writer who authored twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays, and three short stories, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2007 for The Road, widely regarded as one of the greatest modern American writers
Annette McCarthy (1958-2023), American actress best known for her role as Evelyn Marsh in the second season of Twin Peaks, and as Dr. Wendy Oliver in the cult movie Creature (1985)
Neil McCarthy (1939-2021), American head coach of the Weber State Wildcats team from 1974 to 1985 and at the New Mexico State Aggies from 1985 to 1997
James J. McCarthy (1944-2019), American Professor of Biological Oceanography at Harvard
Patrick McCarthy (1951-2019), American chairman and editorial director of W magazine and Women's Wear Daily (WWD)
Thomas R. McCarthy (1934-2016), American thoroughbred racehorse owner and trainer, best known as the owner of General Quarters, the 2009 Blue Grass Stakes winner and Kentucky Derby runner
Thomas Francis Michael "Tommy" McCarthy (1863-1922), American Major League Baseball player, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946
Thomas R. McCarthy (b. 1934), American Thoroughbred racehorse owner & trainer
... (Another 197 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McCarthy family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Samuel Archibald McCarthy (1849-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 12
Mr. Ambrose Charles McCarthy, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 12

Hillsborough disaster

Joesph Daniel McCarthy (1968-1989), English student who was attending the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium, in Sheffield, Yorkshire when the stand allocated area became overcrowded and 96 people were crushed in what became known as the Hillsborough disaster and he died from his injuries 13

HMS Royal Oak

Frank McCarthy, British Boy 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 14

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Daniel Emmet McCarthy (1957-1988), American Banker from Brooklyn, New York, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 15

Prince of Wales colliery

Mr. John Mccarthy (b. 1857), Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died 16

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Bartholomew Mccarthy, Irish Fireman from Wexford, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 17
Mr. Patrick Mccarthy, English Greaser from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 17

RMS Titanic

Mr. Frederick McCarthy (d. 1912), aged 36, English Bedroom Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 18
Mr. William McCarthy, aged 47, Irish Able Seaman from Cork, County Cork who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 4 18
Miss Catherine "Katie" McCarthy, aged 24, Irish Third Class passenger from Tipperary who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking 18
Mr. Timothy J. McCarthy (d. 1912), aged 54, American First Class passenger from Dorchester, Massachusetts who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 18

SS Atlantic

J. McCarthy, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Mr. Timothy McCarthy, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

SS Caribou

Mr. Kevin McCarthy, Newfoundland passenger from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking
Mr. Harold McCarthy, Newfoundland passenger from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking

SS Newfoundland

Mr. Richard McCarthy (b. 1895), Newfoundlander from Carbonear, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he survived

The McCarthy 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: Forti et fideli nihil difficile
Motto Translation: Nothing is difficult to the brave and the faithful

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Hillsborough Victims (retreived 21st March 2021). Retreived from https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/15/remembering-96-victims-hillsborough-disaster-30-years-9206566/
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
Entombed in flood and flame (retrieved 3rd August 2021). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120603025705/http://www.crosskeys.me.uk/history/prince.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html