MCGRATH

McGrath is an Irish surname of Gaelic origin, traditionally found throughout the British Isles. It is derived from the Gaelic elements Mac meaning ‘son’ and Craith or Raith, which scholars translate as ‘branch’, ‘tree’, ‘grace’, ‘prosperity’ or ‘wisdom’. The literal sense of the name is therefore ‘son of Craith’ or, in a wider sense, ‘son of the noble or illustrious one’.

As a patronymic surname it was originally used to identify the descendants of a particular man named Craith. In medieval Ireland the name was most closely associated with the province of Munster, and it is well documented in the counties of Clare, Waterford and Tipperary. In these areas the McGraths held a prominent place as a leading Gaelic sept.

Two distinct septs bear the surname. The first, from County Clare, migrated south to County Waterford around the year 1400 and served as hereditary poets to the O’Briens, who were Kings of All Ireland. The second sept, based in County Donegal, held claim to ancient monastery lands. In County Down the surname appears transposed as MacGraw, while in Donegal it is frequently written as MacGragh. These regional spelling variations result from the phonetic translation of Gaelic into English over many centuries.

Several notable individuals have carried the McGrath name. Archbishop Miler McGrath (1523–1622) was a former Franciscan friar who converted to Protestantism and eventually became Archbishop of Cashel. He held more than seventy ecclesiastical livings in 1604. Another figure, John Magrath, participated in the 1798 Rising; after capture he escaped to America. His son, Andrew Condon Magrath (1813–1893), became a distinguished judge and Governor of Carolina, and served as a prominent Confederate officer during the American Civil War.

The earliest recorded spelling of the family name is that of John McGraith, dated to around 1391. He is credited with being the author of “Caithreim Toirdhealbhaigh” during the reign of King Richard I of England, also known as Richard of Bordeaux (1378–1388). This early documentation confirms the existence of the surname in the late fourteenth century.

Over time the McGrath name has produced a variety of spellings, including MacGrath, Magrath, McCreath, MacCraith, McGraw and McGragh. In some cases the prefix Mac or Mc has been omitted, giving rise to surnames such as Grath and Graw. These variations reflect regional dialects, phonetic spelling in English contexts and the need for adaptation when emigrants settled abroad.

The great Irish diaspora of the nineteenth century, especially during the Great Famine, spread the McGrath surname across the globe. Today it is found in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom in addition to Ireland. Despite this dispersion, the surname remains firmly anchored in its Celtic heritage and continues to signal a proud connection to Irish history and identity.

Typical given names associated with the McGrath surname

Male

• Anthony
• David
• James
• John
• Kevin
• Michael
• Patrick
• Paul
• Stephen
• Thomas

Female

• Anne
• Catherine
• Elizabeth
• Helen
• Karen
• 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 McGrath in...

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Did you know?

According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname McGrath are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Chocolate Hobnob.

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 McGrath

• Pat McGrath - Make-up artist
• Paul McGrath - Irish football player
• Rory McGrath - Comedian
• Alister McGrath - Northern Irish priest and academic
• Katie McGrath - Irish actress
• Patrick McGrath - Writer
• John McGrath - Football player born 1938 (1938 to 1998)
• Jane McGrath - Campaigner (1966 to 2008)
• Anthony McGrath - County cricketer
• John McGrath - Playwright (1935 to 2002)
• Colin McGrath - Politician from Northern Ireland
• Brian McGrath - Army officer (1925 to 2016)
• Graham McGrath - Actor
• Catherine McGrath - Northern Irish singer and songwriter
• Harvey McGrath - Businessman
• Chris McGrath - Northern Irish football player
• Lloyd McGrath - Football player
• Tom McGrath - Scottish playwright and jazz pianist (1940 to 2009)
• John McGrath -
• Mark McGrath - New Zealander darts 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.

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