McNuff Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of McNuff

What does the name McNuff mean?

The Gaelic name used by the McNuff family in ancient Ireland was Mac Conduibh. The first part of the name comes from the word con, which is the genitive form of cu, which means hound while the second part of the name is derived from the Gaelic word dubh, which means black.

Early Origins of the McNuff family

The surname McNuff was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat.

Early History of the McNuff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNuff research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McNuff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McNuff Spelling Variations

Because early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname McNuff were found in the archives researched. These included MacCunniff, Cunniff, Cuniffe, Cunniffe, MacConiffe, MacConniff, Coneffe, Coniffe, Conniff, MacEniffe, MacKiniff, Kinniiff, MacNuff, MacNeeve, MacNiff, MacAniff, Caddo, Caddow, Quinniff, MacEndoo, MacAdoo and many more.

Early Notables of the McNuff family

More information is included under the topic Early McNuff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McNuff family

In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name McNuff or a variant listed above, including: Adam McAdoo settled in Allegheny County Pennsylvania in 1844; James McAdoo landed in New York in 1821; Another James McAdoo settled in Washington County Pennsylvania with his two children, James Jr. and John in 1824.