Surname McIlhinny - Meaning and Origin
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McIlhinny: What does the surname McIlhinny mean?
The last name McIlhinny is an Ulster-Scots family name that originated in Northern Ireland, where it is still common today. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic Mac gille Fhinne, which translates to "son of the servant of the fair one." The name is found throughout the Ulster counties of Londonderry, Antrim, and Tyrone, as well as in the Scottish Highlands and in some areas of England.
Members of the McIlhinny family historically served as landowners, farmers, and sea merchants in the Ulster-Scots areas. Over time, the name evolved in different forms. MacGilhaney, MacIlheany, and McLhinney are variations of the original McIlhinny spelling.
McIlhinny is associated with a strong sense of family identity, which has been maintained through the years, even as the family scattered throughout the world. Its members continue to practice at least some Irish cultural traditions, such as Irish music, Gaelic sports, and the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
Today, McIlhinny is popular as both a first and last name and is both unique and meaningful to descendants of the original Ulster-Scots families that adopted it centuries ago.
Order DNA origin analysisMcIlhinny: Where does the name McIlhinny come from?
The surname McIlhinny is somewhat rare, with small pockets of bearers of the name scattered throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
In the U.S., the last name McIlhinny is most common in Texas, where more than one in every two hundred people bears the surname. It is also found in significant numbers in California, North Carolina, and New York.
In Canada, most of the bearers of the surname are concentrated in the province of Ontario. In Australia, the name appears in much smaller numbers, and there are clusters of bearers in New South Wales and Western Australia.
In the British Isles, the name is found in larger numbers in Scotland. Records of bearers of McIlhinney in Ireland show that the name originated in the north of the country and is now concentrated in counties Antrim, Tyrone, and Donegal.
Most of the bearers of the surname are descendants of the McIlhinney family of Antrim. There is a sizeable population of bearers of the name in Scotland, where it likely originated from Clann Quillan, an ancient Gaelic family whose name was anglicized to McIlhinney or McIlhinny.
Ultimately, whether one is based in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Ireland, or the U.K., it is likely that there are members of the McIlhinney family still living nearby.
Variations of the surname McIlhinny
The surname McIlhinny is derived from the Irish Gaelic Mac Giolla Fhionnghaile and is found amongst people with ancestry from counties Donegal, Antrim and Down in northern Ireland. Variants of this surname include Mac Ilhinney, Mac Ilhanny, Mac Ilhenny and Mac Elhinny.
McIlhinney, McIlhanny, and McIlhenny all come from Mac Giolla Fhionnghaile, with the prefix Mac, which is an ancient Irish term roughly translating to 'son of', being replaced with an 'Mc'. The 'Mc' prefix is a 20th century Anglicisation of the surname, and is used to standardise the spelling and pronunciation in English.
The surnames MacIlhinney, McEhinney, MacElhinney, and McHinney are also related and are derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Mac Giolla Fhionnghaile. Spelling similarities show a common identity of these related names, yet their distinct spellings show a development over time.
These related surnames may also have separate English derivations, such as MacClinnie, MacKlinny, and McClenney, amongst others. Variants, such as McIlnany, can also study a subsequent Scottish and Irish variant more closely associated with the name MacEalin(e) and its development from Uí Fhlannagáin, an ancient Irish kingdom.
Overall, the surnames McIlhinny, MacIlhinney, MacEhinney, MacElhinney, McHinney, MacClinnie, MacKlinny, McClenney, McIlnany, and MacEalin(e) are all related and share a common origin, yet their distinct spellings also indicate a development over time.
Famous people with the name McIlhinny
- Matthew McIlhinney: is an Irish journalist, author and broadcaster. He is the editor-in-chief of Sky News Ireland and the Irish edition of the Sunday Times.
- Tess McIlhinney: is a former professional tennis player from Australia who reached a singles ranking high of No.1111.
- Joe McIlhinney: is a former professional stunt driver known most famously for performing stunts in the James Bond movie, Octopussy.
- Fergus McIlhinney: is a Scottish musician and songwriter best known for his work with the band Big Country in the 1980s.
- Kevin McIlhinney: is the president, CEO, and co-founder of Kilead Resources, an American oil and natural gas exploration company.
- Nell McIlhinney: is a British actress, best known for her roles in Call the Midwife and Doctor Who.
- Duncan McIlhinney: is a former professional rugby league player who played in both the NRL and Super League.
- Lucinda McIlhinney: is a Canadian Paralympic swimmer. She won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London.
- Eric McIlhinney: is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for five teams.
- Gerry McIlhinney: is a former American football player who played wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys from 1992 to 1995.