MCGARVEY
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Garvey, Mcgarvey
McGarvey is a surname of Gaelic origin that is predominantly associated with the northern region of Ireland. In the contemporary period it remains chiefly found in the counties of Donegal and Derry, although emigrants have carried the name to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia.
The etymology of the name can be traced to the Gaelic patronymic Mac Gairbhe or Mac Gairbhith. In this construction, Mac denotes ‘son of’, while Gairbhe or Gairbhith derives from a personal characteristic, meaning “rough” or “rugged”. Consequently, the literal interpretation of the surname is “son of the rough one”. An alternative rendering, Magarbhith, has also been recorded in historical documents, and both forms were subject to anglicisation over the centuries.
Historical references place the surname well before the English‑Norman invasion of 1170 a.d. Descriptive nicknames such as Gabbh were commonplace in early Irish society, and the surname appears in the early sixteenth and fifteenth centuries under both the prefixes Mac and O. The name is also noted as interchangeable with the variants Garvin and Garvan in the southern counties of Cork and Kerry, indicative of the fluidity of Gaelic orthography at the time. In particular, the barony of Oneilland East in County Armagh is recorded as a traditional seat of the O’Garveys.
Several spelling variations exist, nine of the most common being MacGarvey, Magarvey, Magarvie, Magarvy, Mac Garvey, Garvie, Gervie, Geraghty and Garvaghy. These variants often result from attempts to render the original Gaelic pronunciation using English orthographic conventions. In Scotland, related forms such as MacGourlay and MacGourley are found, although these are separate lineages that share only a phonetic similarity.
Because of the Irish diaspora that began in the seventeenth century, the surname has a modest yet widespread presence outside of Ireland. In the United Kingdom it is most common in the north of England and Scotland, where many emigrants settled during the Industrial Revolution. In the United States, concentrated populations are found in New York and Pennsylvania, states that historically received large numbers of Irish migrants. Canadian and Australian records similarly reveal small, dispersed communities of McGarveys, primarily in urban centres that have long been destinations for Irish emigrants.
Notable individuals bearing the surname include John Garvey (1527‑1595), who served as the Protestant Archbishop of Armagh and held the Murrisk Estates. Earlier records, dating to 1562, record an Edward Garvey of Cripplegate in London as a witness, while a later entry describes a Susannah Garvey who married Richard Cook at St. Andrew by the Wardrobe in 1792. Other ecclesiastical references name an Agnes Garvagh (variant spelling) married to Robert Warnock in 1715, and a George Garvey appears as a christening witness in Limerick in 1749. The most recent recording of an early bearer was Francis John Benfield Garvey, whose commission for a scroll is dated to the reign of King George V.
The cultural significance of the surname is anchored in the broader story of Gaelic patronymic naming conventions that emerged in the eleventh century, as clans expanded and individualized identification became necessary. The connection to the legendary Irish king Niall of the Nine Hostages is cited in some genealogical accounts, offering a romantic lineage that recalls the historical role of Irish kings in shaping clan identity.
In modern times the surname McGarvey is considered rare on a global scale, but it remains a living marker of Gaelic heritage. In Ireland it is still most common in the province of Ulster, particularly in County Donegal where the name originates. In the wider world it represents a small, yet persistent thread of Irish ancestry that continues to be celebrated within communities of the diaspora.
Typical given names associated with the McGarvey surname
Male
- Andrew
- Daniel
- David
- James
- John
- Joseph
- Martin
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- William
Female
- Andrea
- Anne
- Caroline
- Catherine
- Clare
- Elizabeth
- Kathleen
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Pauline
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
- McGarvie
- McGarva
- Macgarvey
- Macgarvie
- Macgreevy
- Macreavey
- Mcareavey
- Mcareavy
- Mcarevey
- Mccarvey
- Mccorvey
- Mccravey
- Mccreavey
- Mccreavy
- Mccreevy
- Mccrevey
- Mcgarel
- Mcgarey
- Mcgarrey
- Mcgarvin
- Mcgarvy
- Mcgervey
- Mcgravey
- Mcgravie
- Mcgravy
- Mcgreavey
- Mcgreavy
- Mcgreevey
- Mcgreevy
- Mcgrevey
- Mcgrevy
- Mcgrievy
- Mckervey
- Mcreavy
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McGarvey in...
Braille
⠍⠉⠛⠁⠗⠧⠑⠽
Morse
---.-.--..-.-....-.-.--
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,502 people named McGarvey in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,337th most common surname in Britain. Around 23 in a million people in Britain are named McGarvey.
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 McGarvey
- Seamus McGarvey - Irish cinematographer
- Frank McGarvey - Scottish football player and manager
- Scott McGarvey - Former Scottish association football player
- Martin McGarvey - 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.