MCSHERRY
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Sherry, Mcsherry
The surname McSherry is of Irish provenance, deriving from the Gaelic patronymic Mac Searraigh, which translates literally as “son of Searrach”. The personal name Searrach is itself interpreted as a foal or a young horse, and it may have been employed as an affectionate nickname for a young man of swift-footed agility, a meaning that is reflected in the secondary translation flying or flighty.
Historically the name has been concentrated in the north‑eastern part of Ireland, especially within County Monaghan, where families bearing the surname were traditionally engaged in horse breeding or otherwise maintained a close association with equine pursuits. Other regions of occurrence include County Donegal in Ulster, the border county of Leitrim, and the southern counties of Cork and Killarney. In Scotland the name appears in the Isles of Skye and Mull, although it is considerably rarer there.
Earliest surviving records of the name date from the early seventeenth century. A notable example is the execution of Duncan Glas VcShirie for ship robbery in 1629, a case that occurred during the reign of King Charles I. Other documented individuals include Archibald McShirrie of Leattir, Scotland, who was charged with ‘illegal warding’ in 1635, and John MacScherie of Dowart, who was pronounced a rebel in 1675. In 1754 the marriage of Elizabeth M'Chirrie to James Morrison was recorded in Carmoney, County Antrim, illustrating the surname’s presence in the north of the island.
During the Great Famine of the mid‑nineteenth century a number of bearers of the surname emigrated from Ireland to the United States. An example is John Mcsarry, listed on the passenger manifest of the ship Messenger in June 1846; he was described as an 18‑year‑old farmer en route to New York. The surname subsequently established a substantial presence in the northeastern United States, particularly in the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey, with smaller communities also found in California, Florida and Illinois. Overseas colonies in Australia, Canada and New Zealand continue to be inhabited by individuals who retain the name in its various forms.
Because of its long history of orthographic variation, McSherry has many recognised spellings. These include MacSharry, McSharry, MacSherry, Sherry, Sherrie and MacShirrie, the latter appearing in early Scottish records. The prefix Mac or Mc reflects the patronymic origin, denoting “son of”, while occasional forms with an O' prefix such as O'Sherrie are also documented, though less frequently.
Across centuries the McSherry name has remained a marker of both Irish and Scottish heritage. Its survival through periods of upheaval, emigration and cultural assimilation demonstrates the determination and resilience of its bearers, qualities that are commemorated in local histories and family traditions. In contemporary contexts the name continues to be associated with community involvement, professional achievement and a strong sense of lineage rooted in Celtic ancestry.
Typical given names associated with the McSherry surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- Jamie
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Ann
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Jessie
- Kathleen
- 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 McSherry in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,342 people named McSherry in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,859th most common surname in Britain. Around 21 in a million people in Britain are named McSherry.
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 McSherry
- Jim McSherry - Scottish football player and manager
- Chic McSherry - Scottish rock guitarist
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.