MACNAMARA
Recorded variant spellings include Mac Namara, Macnamara
The surname MacNamara is an Irish name of Gaelic origin that translates literally to “son of the hound of the sea.” It derives from the original Gaelic Mac Con Mara, where con means “hound” and mara means “sea.” The name is reconstructed from an ancestral personal name, Conmara, believed to have been borne by an early progenitor of the sept.
Historically the MacNamara sept was based in County Clare, a part of the ancient kingdom of Thomond. They were the second most powerful group of the Dal Cais of Thomond after the O’Briens, and served as hereditary marshals to the O’Briens. The MacNamaras had the privilege of inaugurating a chief of the O’Briens, a position that was often a kingship, thereby giving the clan a decisive role in the dynastic politics of western Ireland.
In the early medieval period the MacNamaras split into two branches. The western branch, identified as MacNamara Fyne (from fionn, meaning “fair”), settled in West Clancullen, while the eastern branch became known as MacNamara Reagh (from riabhach, meaning “swarthy” or “grizzled”) and was seated in East Clancullen. The sept’s influence extended into nearby counties of Limerick and Tipperary, and by the seventeenth century they had become one of the largest clans in western Ireland.
The first documented spelling of the surname appears in the parish register of County Clare, where a Thomas MacNamara is recorded in 1680. This registry was kept during the reign of King Charles I. The MacNamaras were renowned for their martial prowess and for supporting the O’Briens against the Anglo‑Norman invasion that began in the late twelfth century. Their loyalty to the O’Briens and their position as guardians of Thomond secured them substantial estates and civic authority, allowing the clan to maintain a prominent status for several centuries.
In modern times the surname MacNamara has retained a significant presence outside Ireland. Large numbers of people bearing the name emigrated during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries under the great wave of Irish migration. The surname is now common in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where it occasionally takes the anglicised forms McNamara or other variations such as MacNamare or MacNamroe. In the United States census the surname appears over forty‑nine thousand times, a figure that reflects the extensive diaspora of Irish families.
Several spelling variants have arisen over time, reflecting regional accents and dialects. These include McNamara, MacNamrua, MacNamra and MacNamrie. The Scottish Gaelic version is MacRomaire, while the entirely anglicised form McNamer occasionally appears. All of these variations stem from the same ancient patronymic root, which testifies to the enduring legacy of the MacNamara lineage.
Typical given names associated with the MacNamara surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Angela
- Ann
- Catherine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jillian
- Linda
- Lucy
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rosemary
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname MacNamara in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 1,027 people named MacNamara in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,216th most common surname in Britain. Around 16 in a million people in Britain are named MacNamara.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named MacNamara
- Nicolette Macnamara - Author and artist (1911 to 1987)
- Thomas Macnamara - Politician (1861 to 1931)
- Patrick Macnamara - (1886 to 1957)
- Nottidge Charles MacNamara - Surgeon (1832 to 1918)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.