MCCABE
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Cabe, Mccabe
The surname McCabe is of Gaelic origin and traditionally signifies “son of Cába.” The personal name Cába is of uncertain derivation, and the patronymic construction Mac Cába indicates a lineal descent from such a figure.
Historically the name has been associated with the Irish counties of Monaghan, Leitrim and Cavan. In the Middle Ages, chieftains in these regions imported fighting men from Scotland, specifically from the Hebridean islands of Inis Gall. These mercenaries, known as gallowglasses, provided military support to the O’Reillys and the O’Rourkes and were identified by the idiosyncratic hats they wore. The distinctive headwear gave rise to the byname Caba, from which the surname was ultimately derived.
Prominent bearers of the name include William Putnam McCabe (1776‑1821), a romantic figure associated with the United Irishmen; Cathaoir McCabe, a close friend of the celebrated bard Turlough O’Carolan, who composed a lyrical lament upon the bard’s death; Edward Cardinal McCabe (1816‑1885); and Eugine McCabe, a farmer from County Monaghan whose popular plays were staged at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre.
The heraldic arms most commonly associated with the family feature a green shield with a wavy fess between three silver salmon swimming. The crest consists of the upper half of a griffin, symbolising protection and vigilance.
The earliest recorded spelling of the family name appears in the Irish Annals as Hugh Mac Cabe, who was killed in battle in 1368 during the reign of Rory O’Connor, who reigned as the last native High King of Ireland from 1166‑1175.
While the surname remains concentrated in Ireland, especially in its traditional counties, it is also widespread among overseas Irish diaspora communities.
Typical given names associated with the McCabe surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- 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 McCabe in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 13,480 people named McCabe in the UK. That makes it the 666th most common surname in Britain. Around 207 in a million people in Britain are named McCabe.
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 McCabe
- Nick McCabe - Rock guitarist
- Steve McCabe - Politician
- Joseph McCabe - Writer (1867 to 1955)
- Rhys McCabe - Football player
- Kirsty McCabe - Weather forecaster
- John McCabe - Composer and pianist (1939 to 2015)
- Herbert McCabe - -born Irish Dominican priest, theologian and philosopher (1926 to 2001)
- Norman McCabe - Animator (1911 to 2006)
- Tom McCabe - Politician (1954 to 2015)
- Gerry McCabe - Scottish football player and manager
- George McCabe - Soccer referee (1922 to 2001)
- Jimmy McCabe - Football player (1918 to 1)
- Ste McCabe - Guitarist
- Christopher John McCabe - Writer
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.