MCGARRITY
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Garrity, Mcgarrity
The surname McGarrity is an Irish Gaelic name of patrimonial origin, denoting descent from a notable ancestor. It is used across the British Isles, particularly in Ireland where its roots are firmly established.
Its immediate derivation is the Gaelic patronymic Mac Fhearghusa, which translates literally as “son of Fergus.” The personal name Fergus is itself composed of the elements fear meaning “man” and gus meaning “vigor” or “force.” Consequently, the surname may be interpreted as “son of the vigorous man” or “son of the forceful man.”
The spelling of McGarrity has evolved over centuries. Recorded variations numbering at least seventeen include MacGarrity, MacGeraghty, Gerty and Gearty; all remain recognisable forms of the same family name. Earlier dwellings in Ireland also saw the use of Mag Oireachtach, from which McGarrity is an anglicised form. The element Oireachtach itself denotes a “member of the assembly”, implying that the original bearer held a position within early Irish councils or assemblies.
The earliest documentary reference to the name appears as Oireatach O'Roduibh recorded in the Book of Connacht dated to about 1390. This aligns with the reign of Art MacMurrough, King of Leinster (1376‑1417). In the late medieval period the clan produced a chief who served as one of the four Royal Chiefs under the O'Conor dynasty and held the barony of Athlone from the mid‑1580s. During the Great Famine of the mid‑19th century several individuals bearing the surname emigrated from Ireland, for example Thomas Garrity on the Liverpool vessel Nonantum (1846) and Cornelius Geraghty on the Dromahair (1847) from Sligo to New York.
Geographically the surname is associated mainly with County Mayo, situated in the western province of Connacht. In contemporary times, the name remains principally found in Ireland but has also spread to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, following the patterns of Irish diaspora migration.
Among those who have carried the name abroad are figures such as the Irish‑American Joseph McGarrity, noted for his support of Irish republicanism. Although not among the most common Irish surnames, McGarrity retains a distinct presence within the genealogical records of Irish heritage.
Typical given names associated with the McGarrity surname
Male
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Ronan
- Stephen
- Stewart
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Carol
- Catherine
- Claire
- Dd
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Laura
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Marie
- Mary
- Patricia
- Susan
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 McGarrity in...
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There are approximately 884 people named McGarrity in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,134th most common surname in Britain. Around 14 in a million people in Britain are named McGarrity.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named McGarrity
- Kevin McGarrity - Racing driver
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.