MCGIRR
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Girr, Mcgirr
McGirr is a surname of Irish provenance that arose within the Gaelic linguistic tradition of the British Isles. Its structure is of the patronymic type, indicating descent from an earlier male ancestor. The name is recorded in the annals of both Ireland and Scotland, and its spelling has evolved into several variants such as McGerr, McGeer, MacGirr, Magir and Magirr.
The primary scholarly rendering of the name in Gaelic is Mac Giolla Ghirr, meaning “son of the servant of Girr.” The element Ghirr is regarded as a personal name of uncertain origin; it is not a descriptive term but was the name of an individual who acquired prominence in the early medieval period. The prefix Mac is a conventional patronymic marker in Gaelic, indicating “son of.”
Other early forms point to a slightly different etymology. In Scotland the surname is linked to the pre-10th century Gaelic Mac an gHeairr, translated as “the son of the short man.” Scholars regard this derivation as indicative of an initial nickname that became hereditary. The earliest Scottish evidence of the name appears in a 1658 record of a M'Girre in Dalbeattie.
In Ireland the surname is most closely associated with County Tyrone, where it is historically situated alongside the McGirr families of Antrim and Derry. The name was first documented in the early 1600s in County Armagh, with a 1602 record of the MacEghir families. A 1628 entry notes that they were “numerous” in the same county. The recorded history of the name reaches back to the 17th century in both Ulster and Scotland.
Another strand of the name’s derivation comes from the anglicised form of Mac Fhearadhaigh, meaning “son of Faradach” or “son of judgment.” Faradach was a noted Christian king in the fifth century, and the surname preserves this association with early Irish royalty. The surname is also linked genealogically with the O'Fearghail clan, a celebrated warrior group from Leinster.
Demographically, the surname is relatively uncommon. According to the Irish Central Statistics Office, there are approximately 2,419 individuals bearing the surname in the Republic of Ireland. The name remains concentrated in the northern provinces, with particular strength in County Tyrone, Antrim, Derry and Fermanagh.
Migration has spread the surname beyond the British Isles. Families bearing the name are found in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where they often retain the spelling variants McGirr, MacGirr or McGeer.
Throughout its history, the surname has carried connotations of honour, tradition and tenacity. Those who inherit it today may glimpse the legacy of early Gaelic patronymics, the legacy of Christian kingship and the cultural heritage of the O'Gowan and O'Fearghail lineages. Thus the McGirr name remains a testament to a rich, if somewhat obscure, genealogical heritage within the wider context of the Gaelic peoples of Ireland and Scotland.
Typical given names associated with the McGirr surname
Male
- Barry
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Anne
- Caroline
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Jane
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Oonagh
- Patricia
- Pauline
- Susanna
- Tina
- Wendy
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 McGirr in...
Braille
⠍⠉⠛⠊⠗⠗
Morse
---.-.--....-..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 649 people named McGirr in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around ten in a million people in Britain are named McGirr.
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
