Surname McCloy - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McCloy: What does the surname McCloy mean?
The surname McCloy is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic name Mac Giolla Dheacht, which literally translates to "son of the servant of the right". In older forms, it is also present as Mac Giolla Eacht, meaning "son of the servant of fear". It is speculated that this could refer to a servant of a God associated with fear or a person righteously feared. Over time, the name has evolved into numerous variations including McCloy, McClue, McLea, McClay etc. Irish surnames often denote family lineage and were traditionally formed by adding 'Mac', meaning 'son of', or 'O', denoting 'descendant of', before the father's name.
Order DNA origin analysisMcCloy: Where does the name McCloy come from?
The last name McCloy is of Irish origin. It comes from the old Gaelic name Mac Giolla Ruaidh, which identifies a son (“Mac”) of the servant (“Giolla”) of the red-haired youth (“Ruaidh”). Over the years, the pronunciation altered and ultimately led to the Anglicized form McCloy.
The surname spelling can vary and includes such variations as McElroy, McElroe, MacElroy, MacGilroy, McIlroy, and so on. The McCloy surname was first found in County Tyrone, in the Province of Ulster, Northern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
Today, the surname McCloy is common in Northern Ireland, specifically in and around County Tyrone. It is also relatively common in the United States, Canada, Scotland, and other English-speaking countries due to the Irish diaspora. It's important to note that exact distribution may vary and can be influenced by factors such as migration and intermarriage.
Variations of the surname McCloy
The surname McCloy is of Irish origin and may have multiple variants and spellings depending on the region and lineage. The variants and spellings of this surname can include: McCloyd, McClay, McClaye, MacCloy, MacCloyd, MacClay, MacClaye, and McLeay. This is because the "Mac" or "Mc" prefix in Irish surnames typically means "son of," so these variations are likely to represent specific family lines descended from a common ancestor with a name meaning something like "Clay" or "Cloy."
Furthermore, surname variants can often occur due to phonetic spellings that happened when families migrated and customs officials recorded the names as they heard them.
It should also be noted that there are many surnames of different origins that may sound similar to McCloy, such as McClure or McCleary, that are not actually variants of McCloy and have different origins and meanings.
Furthermore, there could be other less common variations of this surname based on regional dialects, Anglicisation, or translation errors that are less frequently encountered today. For example, the McCloy surname could potentially have been translated from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Ruaidh."
Famous people with the name McCloy
- H.J. McCloy: Prominent 20th century American diplomat and lawyer.
- Chris McCloy: Northern Irish footballer.
- Elizabeth McCloy: American actress.
- Jean McCloy: English architect and campaigner for women's rights.
- John Cardiff McCloy: American lawyer and statesman.
- Laraine McCloy: British actress.
- William McCloy: Scot who worked in the field of cartography in the 18th century.
- William McCloy: American artist and craftsman.
- Doyle McCLoy: American Modern Pentathlete.
- Henry Donaldson McCloy: American actor and cinematographer.
- Alexander Sinton McCloy: American botanist and professor.
- James McCloy: American pioneer of the Pacific Northwest.
- Don McCloy: Australian artist andgaardist.
- Ian John McCloy Scottish professional rugby league footballer.
- Robert Bruce McCloy: AmericanMajor League Baseball pitcher.
- David Seaton McCloy: Confederate politician.
- Andrew McCloy: Scottish footballer.
- Connor McCloy: American actor, singer and dancer.
- Michael McCloy: American actor, director and writer.
- Albert Emmett McCloy: American jazz violinist.