MCCARTNEY
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Cartney, Mccartney
McCartney is a surname of Gaelic origin, with a historical presence in both the Irish and Scottish parts of the British Isles. The name is patronymic, formed from the Gaelic prefix mac, meaning "son of", joined to a personal name such as Cartaigh or Artán.
In Irish usage the surname is an Anglicised form of Mac Cartaigh, which translates as "son of Cartach." The element Cartach is believed to derive from the Gaelic word cartach, connoting a loving or affectionate disposition. Records of the name in Ireland date back to the mid‑seventeenth century, when the surname appears in the hearth‑money rolls of County Monaghan and in the 1659 Petty census of Belfast as a principal Irish surname.
Scottish sources describe the name as an Anglicised version of Mac Artáin or MacArtain. Here the element Artán is a diminutive of the Old Celtic personal name Art, meaning "bear" or "hero." Early Scottish documentary evidence, such as the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, records the spelling Gilbert McCartnay of Galloway in 1529, and later entries include Thomas McCartnay in Wigtownshire in 1562 and a burgess named William MacKartnay of Aberdeen in 1603. The name also spread north‑east of Ireland from the mid‑seventeenth century, with figures such as Captain George Macartney (J. 1630) arriving in County Antrim and later George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney, created in the Irish peerage in 1792.
Variations of the surname are common, a fact historically explained by the lack of standardised spelling. Common variants include Macartney, MacCartney, Macartnie, and McCartyney, among others. In some Irish contexts the name appeared as O'Cartney or a simplified Cartney, while the form McCourtney may also share the same root. These variations, however, all refer to the same patronymic origin.
Today the McCartney surname is most prevalent in Northern Ireland, particularly in County Armagh, and remains common throughout the United Kingdom and Scotland. It is also found in significant diaspora communities in the United States, Canada, and Australia, reflecting 19th‑ and 20th‑century migratory movements from the British Isles.
Among those bearing the surname, the most internationally recognised is Sir Paul McCartney, an eminent British musician and founding member of The Beatles. The global recognition of the name has not altered its historical roots or the genealogical variety that characterises it.
Typical given names associated with the McCartney surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- MacArtney
- Macartny
- Maccartney
- Mcartany
- Mcartney
- Mccarney
- Mccart
- Mccartan
- Mccarte
- Mccarten
- Mccarteney
- Mccarter
- Mccartey
- Mccarthey
- Mccarthney
- Mccarthy
- Mccartie
- Mccartin
- Mccartly
- Mccartny
- Mccarton
- Mccarty
- Mccearney
- Mccoart
- Mccourtney
- Mccurtin
- Mecartney
- Maccarney
- Maccarthey
- Mccartain
- Mccarth
- Mccort
- Mckarney
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McCartney in...
Braille
⠍⠉⠉⠁⠗⠞⠝⠑⠽
Morse
---.-.-.-..-.-.--..-.--
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname McCartney are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Ginger Nut.
There are approximately 6,436 people named McCartney in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,470th most common surname in Britain. Around 99 in a million people in Britain are named McCartney.
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 McCartney
- Paul McCartney - Singer-songwriter and composer, bassist of The Beatles
- Stella McCartney - Fashion designer
- Mary McCartney - Photographer
- James McCartney - Musician, writer
- Peter Michael McCartney - Singer
- Linda McCartney - American photographer, recording artist (1941 to 1998)
- Jesse McCartney - American singer and actor
- Jason McCartney - Politician
- Raymond McCartney - Northern Irish politician
- George McCartney - Football player
- Robert McCartney - Northern Irish politician and barrister
- Karl McCartney - Politician
- Ian McCartney - Politician
- Hugh McCartney - Politician (1920 to 2006)
- James Alexander George Smith McCartney - Politician from the Turks and Caicos Islands (1945 to 1980)
- Mike McCartney - Football player (1954 to 2018)
- Dave McCartney - Football player (1875 to 1949)
- Linda Louise McCartney - McCartney family member (1911 to 1962)
- Robert McCartney - Australian politician (1906 to 1978)
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.