Surname MacGeough - Meaning and Origin
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MacGeough: What does the surname MacGeough mean?
The surname MacGeough is of Irish origin and typically signifies familial descent. It's a variant of the Gaelic name "Mac Eochaidh", which translates to "son of Eochaidh". The name "Eochaidh" itself has ancient Celtic roots, and it means "horse rider" or "horseman". Hence, in a figurative sense, MacGeough might be interpreted as "son of the horse rider". This ties into a common practice in Gaelic cultures, where surnames were often taken from the names of respected ancestors or derived from the professions of those ancestors. It's primarily found in regions where Irish ancestry is prevalent. Like many surnames with Gaelic origins, the spelling and pronunciation of MacGeough can vary, with McGeough and McGeogh being common variations. It is important to note that surname meanings can only provide historical or symbolic insights and should not be used to make assumptions about an individual bearing the said surname.
Order DNA origin analysisMacGeough: Where does the name MacGeough come from?
The surname MacGeough is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mag Eochadha," which means "son of Eochaidh," Eochaidh being a personal name based on the word "each," meaning "horse." This surname is thus thought to have likely originated as a nickname for a horseman. The oldest records of this name can be found in the county of Armagh in Northern Ireland.
While the MacGeough surname isn't commonly found globally today, it can be located primarily in Northern Ireland and in places where Irish emigration was common such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, like many Irish surnames, the name may exist in various anglicized forms, including McGeough, McGeogh, Mageogh, etc., which can complicate attempts to trace its prevalence accurately. It remains a relatively rare surname.
Variations of the surname MacGeough
The surname MacGeough is of Irish origin and is also often spelled as McGeough, McGough, or MacGough. In some instances, Gaelic variations of this surname, which include Mag Eochadha and Mac an tSaoi can be observed. Translating these would give us versions "MacKeogh," "McKeogh," or "MacEochaidh". Further anglicization of these forms gave rise to surnames such as "Keogh" or variations "Keough" and "Kehoe".
Moreover, due to phonetic spelling by English clerks during the period of English dominance in Ireland, surnames like MacGeough were written differently in many cases, resulting in a wide range of variations for the same name. Few examples are Mageogh, M'Gough, M'Goe, McGo, McGoe, etc.
There are several other variations like Makge, Makgeugh, M'Geoghegan, Mageoghegan, McGeoghegan, derived from the same Gaelic origin. However, the spellings can vary greatly due to changes in pronunciation and language evolution over time.
All these names are typically Patronymic i.e., derived from the father's given name, with Mag Eochadha meaning "son of Eochaidh or Eochadha".
Famous people with the name MacGeough
- Seán MacGee (Irish traditional music collector and singer)
- Michael MacGee (American broadcast journalist with NPR)
- Kayleigh McGeough (British actress)
- Seamus MacGee (Irish journalist and broadcaster)
- Trevor MacGee (American former ice hockey player)
- Phelim MacGee (Irish Gaelic footballer)
- Jim MacGee (Canadian former ice hockey player)
- Patrick MacGee (American songwriter and record producer)
- Larry MacGee (American former basketball player)
- Michael MacGee (Australian former rugby league footballer)
- Morgan MacGee (Canadian TV actress)
- Richard MacGee (British former international cricketer)
- Raymond MacGee (American Major League Baseball pitcher)
- Alexander MacGee (American jazz clarinetist)
- Kenneth MacGee (Australian former rugby league footballer)
- John MacGee (American scoreboard operator for the New York Mets)
- Niall MacGee (Scottish former footballer)
- Jack MacGee (American Major League Baseball pitcher)
- Stephen MacGee (Australian rules footballer)
- Oisin MacGee (Irish professional golfer)