Surname McInery - Meaning and Origin

McInery: What does the surname McInery mean?

The surname McInery is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac an Aoire," which literally translates as "son of the shepherd." The name suggests that the original bearers of this surname likely came from a family with a tradition of shepherding, leading and guiding livestock, especially sheep. It should be noted that this surname has many variants due to the evolution of language and the anglicization of Irish names, including McNairy or MacInerny. The spelling of 'McInery' is less common, with 'McInerney' being more widely used. As to its geographic origins, this surname is predominantly found in the Ireland's province of Munster—specifically in the counties of Clare and Limerick. Despite this, it is now spread worldwide due to Irish emigration.

McInery: Where does the name McInery come from?

The last name McInery is of Irish origin. It's an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Mac an Airchinnigh" which translates to "son of the Erchin". The name is associated with the heritage and lineage of the ancient Gaelic tribes of Ireland.

In its original form, McInery associated with church scholars, as "erchin" meant a lay-brother or a steward of church lands. Specifically, it was initially borne by those serving as hereditary stewards to the bishopric of Killaloe in County Clare.

Today, the name is not very common, but it can still be found mostly in Ireland and among populations of Irish descent around the world, especially in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, due to historical emigration. In Ireland, the name is particularly associated with the region of Munster, and especially County Clare and Limerick. However, variations of the name such as McInerney are more common than McInery itself.

Variations of the surname McInery

The surname McInery appears to be a variation of the more common Irish surname "McInerney". It is often seen in a number of alternate forms due to translation from Gaelic and phonetic spellings. These variants include McInerney, McInnerney, McInerny, MacInerney, MacInerny, and MacInernie. It's also common to see the "Mc" changed to "Mac", as both prefixes mean "son of" in Gaelic. Some spellings may drop the "Mc/Mac" altogether, resulting in forms such as Inerney or Innerney.

The surname may also be Anglicised into different forms such as Nerney, Nertney, or Nurney. The name derives from the Gaelic Mac an Airchinnigh which means "son of the erenagh". An erenagh was a hereditary steward of church lands in Ireland, hence, the name implies a family who were historically tied to religious occupation.

Since Irish names were often changed or simplified when families emigrated to countries such as America or Australia, it's possible that further variants of the surname exist in different countries. As spelling wasn't standardized until fairly recently, the name can appear in many different forms in historical records.

Famous people with the name McInery

• Michael McInerney: American film producer, film and television director and screenwriter.
• Sean McInerney: Irish association football player and manager.
• John McInerney: Australian actor, writer and director.
• Patrick McInerney: Irish-born American philanthropist and art collector.
• Tony McInerney: British voice actor.
• Kevin McInerney: American actor and stunt coordinator.
• Mary McInerney: Irish nationalist politician.
• Luke McInerney: Former professional Canadian football player.
• Paul McInerney: Irish professional footballer.
• Bill McInerney: American executive, investor, and philanthropist.

Other surnames

McInearneyMcInerney