McCarthy — Mac Cárthaigh | Meaning, Origin & Irish Heritage

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The surname McCarthy is the anglicised form of the Irish Mac Cárthaigh — meaning “descendant of Cárthach, ‘the loving one’”. McCarthy is the anglicised form of Mac Cárthaigh, meaning ‘son of Cárthach’ — a personal name interpreted as ‘loving one’ or ‘kindly one’.^[1]

Meaning & Etymology

McCarthy is the anglicised form of Mac Cárthaigh, meaning ‘son of Cárthach’ — a personal name interpreted as ‘loving one’ or ‘kindly one’.^[1]

The McCarthys were one of the great royal families of Munster, descended from the Eóganacht kings of Cashel.^[2]

It is one of the most common surnames in Ireland and the dominant surname in County Cork today.

Historical McCarthy Septs

There is rarely a single family behind a major Irish surname. Edward MacLysaght — the gold-standard source for Irish surname history — identifies distinct historical septs that all anglicised to McCarthy, often with no kinship to one another.^[2]

The Kings of Desmond (Cork/Kerry)

The McCarthys ruled the kingdom of Desmond (south Munster — Cork and Kerry) from the 12th century until the Tudor conquest. Their capital was at Blarney — and yes, the famous Blarney Castle and its Blarney Stone were the seat of McCarthy Mór power. They descended from the Eóganacht Chaisil, the royal line that had previously ruled all of Munster from the Rock of Cashel.^[1][2]

McCarthy Reagh (Carbery)

A senior branch known as Mac Cárthaigh Riabhach (MacCarthy Reagh, ‘the grey-haired MacCarthy’) held the Carbery region of west Cork from their seat at Kilbrittain Castle. They produced many of the family’s most famous figures and maintained their Gaelic identity into the 17th century.^[1][2]

McCarthy Muskerry

A third major branch — the MacCarthy Muskerry line — held central Cork around Macroom and Blarney. They were the builders of the present Blarney Castle in the 15th century.^[1][2]

Famous Bearers

• Cormac MacCarthy (c. 1411-1494) — King of Munster and builder of the current Blarney Castle in the 1440s.
• Cormac McCarthy — American novelist (Blood Meridian, The Road, No Country for Old Men); his family traces to Rhode Island via Irish emigration.
• Joseph McCarthy — Wisconsin senator whose 1950s anti-communist campaigns gave the word ‘McCarthyism’ to the English language.
• Paul McCartney — Beatles co-founder, born in Liverpool to an Irish father. The surname was originally McCartney, a Scots-Irish variant.
• Mick McCarthy — English-born Irish football manager, former player and national team manager.
• Andrew McCarthy — American actor of the 1980s Brat Pack (St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink).

Spelling Variants & Anglicisations

Over centuries of anglicisation, translation, and emigration, the McCarthy name has taken many forms in English and Irish:

• McCarthy · MacCarthy · Mc Carthy · M’Carthy
• McCarty · McCarthey (American variants)
• Mac Cárthaigh · Mac Cárthaigh Mór · Mac Cárthaigh Riabhach (Irish sept forms)

Where to Visit if Your Name is McCarthy

If you carry the McCarthy name and want to walk the ground your ancestors once held, here are the regions of Ireland that are your strongest historical anchors:

• Blarney Castle (County Cork) — built by Cormac MacCarthy c. 1446 and still the most visited tourist site in Ireland. Kiss the Blarney Stone where the McCarthy Mór once ruled.
• Kilbrittain (West Cork) — the seat of the McCarthy Reagh branch. The 12th-century Kilbrittain Castle was the oldest continuously-inhabited castle in Ireland.
• Macroom (Mid Cork) — the heart of MacCarthy Muskerry country. Visit Macroom Castle and the Gearagh — a remarkable inland delta on the River Lee.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia: Wikipedia (en) — consolidated etymology and modern rank [link]
2. Maclysaght: MacLysaght, Edward. Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins. 1957, Hodges Figgis. The standard scholarly reference on the origin and distribution of Irish surnames.

All facts above are sourced from the named references listed above. Page last verified April 2026.

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