MCGOLDRICK
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Goldrick, Mcgoldrick
McGoldrick is a surname of Irish origin, rooted in the Gaelic linguistic tradition of the British Isles. The name is primarily found within Ireland, where it is associated with the Christian and Celtic cultural heritage that has shaped the island’s history.
The surname derives originally from the Gaelic patronymic MacGallchobhair, meaning “son of Gallchobhair.” The personal name Gallchobhair is composed of the elements gall, meaning “foreigner” or “stranger,” and cobhair, meaning “help” or “aid.” Consequently, the original bearers were interpreted as the “son of the foreign helper” or the “son of the stranger who provides assistance.”
An alternative Anglicised form traced in the records is Mac Ualghairg, wherein the personal element Ualgharg appears to contain Old Celtic roots meaning “proud” and “fierce.” The surname therefore also conveys the sense of a noble or fierce lineage. The spelling Golden is recorded as a synonymous form around Carrick‑on‑Shannon and Boyle, and is now largely used in County Mayo, where the variant Goldrick once prevailed.
Historical documents attest to the name’s presence in the mid‑eleventh century, with the earliest record being that of Mac Ualghairg, Lord of Cairbre dated 1054 in the “Annals of the Four Masters.” The name is also documented in Hearth Money Rolls for County Fermanagh in 1665‑1666, indicating a long‑standing occupation of the area. Ecclesiastical records at Raphoe contain further mentions of the surname, and parish registers record baptisms and marriages such as Eleanor McGoldrick’s marriage to Thomas Conroy in Dublin in 1803, and the christenings of Edward and John McGoldrick in the 1860s at Belleek and Florence Court respectively.
During the Great Famine, a notable bearer, Rodger McGoldrick, sailed from Liverpool on the vessel Sheridan bound for New York on 7 May 1846, illustrating the migration patterns that spread the name beyond Ireland. Throughout the centuries, variations such as McGolrick, Magorlick, McWalrick, and Golden have appeared, yet the core patronymic element persists in the modern form McGoldrick.
Typical given names associated with the McGoldrick surname
Male
- Anthony
- James
- John
- Kevin
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- 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 McGoldrick in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 2,209 people named McGoldrick in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,879th most common surname in Britain. Around 34 in a million people in Britain are named McGoldrick.
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 McGoldrick
- David McGoldrick - Irish football player
- Michael McGoldrick - Musician
- Eddie McGoldrick - Irish football player and manager
- Barry McGoldrick - Irish hurler and Gaelic football player
- Kevin McGoldrick - Football player
- Michael McGoldrick - Gaelic football player
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.