Mccarthy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An Irish-origin family name carried by several well-known people, such as the American senator Joseph Raymond and the novelist Cormac
2. A surname of Irish origin, shared by various public figures including the politician Joseph Raymond and the author Cormac
3. Family name of Irish descent, most famously borne by the American politician Joseph Raymond and the writer Cormac

Etymology: "Mac Carthaigh" is Irish for "son of Carthach." "Mac" means "son," and Carthach was a personal name, usually glossed as "loving" or "friendly." The surname belongs to the Eóganacht dynasty of Munster in southwest Ireland, whose branches ruled kingdoms such as Desmond and Carbery for centuries. In English, the Irish form was spelled in several ways, including McCarthy, MacCarthy, and Macarthy, and the spelling is still not fixed. Irish-language surnames like this one were often anglicized in writing as English-speaking administrators recorded them.