McNally (surname)

McNally

Origin
Language(s)	Irish, Gaelic
Derivation	Mac an Fhailghigh Mac Conallaidh
Region of origin	Ireland
Other names
Variant form(s)	McAnally, Nally

McNally is an Irish surname.

Origins

Mac an Fhailghigh

McNally, McAnally, and particularly Nally, are anglicized forms of the Irish: Mac an Fhailghigh, lit. 'son of the poor man''. The etymology of Failgheach is obscure but probably represents a Gaelicized form of Norman French Le Poer, denoting a pauper or more likely a religious hermit. Of Cambro-Norman/Welsh origin, the Mayo MacNallys were a branch of the Barretts of Tirawley, County Mayo.[1][2][3]

Mac Conallaidh

In Ireland the surname is strongly associated with Ulster and prevalent in counties Antrim, Armagh and especially Monaghan. In Ulster it originated in County Tyrone, and is the Anglicized form of Mac Conallaidh 'son of Cú Allaidh'; a Gaelic name of the Cenél nEógain clan meaning the 'wild hound', i.e. 'wolf'.[4][5][6][7] (Not to be confused with Mac Con Uladh "son of the hound of Ulster") This McNally family is a branch of the “Northern Ó Néill” group of Ulster clans. They are separate from the Mayo name Mac an Fhailghigh.[8][9][10]

Notable McNallys

• Andrew McNally (1836–1904), American co-founder of Rand-McNally
• Art McNally (1926–2022), American sports executive
• Charles McNally (1787–1864), Irish bishop of Clogher
• Dave McNally (1942–2002), American baseball player
• Grant McNally (born 1962), Canadian politician
• Joanne McNally (born 1983), Irish comedian and actress
• James McNally (1836–1921), Irish Fenian
• John McNally (born 1951), Scottish politician
• John McNally (1932–2022), Irish boxer
• Johnny 'Blood' McNally (1903-1985), American football player and coach
• Keith McNally (born 1951), British restaurateur
• Kevin McNally (born 1956), English actor
• Lauren McNally, American politician
• Leonard McNally (1752–1820), Irish barrister, poet, founding member of the United Irishmen, and spy
• Luke McNally (born 1999), Irish footballer
• Mark McNally (born 1971), Scottish footballer, Celtic FC
• Mark McNally (born 1981), Australian racing driver
• Paddy McNally (born 1937), British businessman
• Randy McNally (born 1944), Tennessee politician
• Shane McNally (1954–2023), Australian rugby player
• Shannon McNally (born 1973), American singer-songwriter
• Stephen McNally (1911–1994), American actor
• Terrence McNally (1938–2020), American playwright
• Tom McNally, Baron McNally (born 1943), British politician
• William McNally VC (1894–1976), British soldier and Victoria Cross recipient

See also

• McNally (disambiguation)
• McAnally
• Nally
• McNalty

References

1. Woulfe, Rev. Patrick. "Mac An Fhailghigh - Irish Names and Surnames". www.libraryireland.com.
2. O'Hara, Bernard (1982). Mayo: Aspects of Its Heritage. Archaeological, Historical, and Folklore Society, Regional Technical College. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-9508233-0-0.
3. Knox, Hubert Thomas (1908). The History of the County of Mayo to the Close of the Sixteenth Century. De Burca Rare Books. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-946130-01-6.
4. Ó Fiaich, Tomás; et al. (1986). "Brian Mac Gurk, Dean of Armagh". Seanchas Ardmhacha. 12 (1): 69. doi:10.2307/29745225. ISSN 0488-0196. JSTOR 29745225. Mac Con Allaidh (the son of the wild hound)
5. Ó Raifeartaigh, T.; MacLysaght, Edward (1958). "Review of Irish Families, Their Names, Arms, and Origins". Irish Historical Studies. 11 (42): 176. ISSN 0021-1214. JSTOR 30006328.
6. O'Brien, Kathleen M. (2006). "Index of Names in Irish Annals: Cú Allaid". medievalscotland.org.
7. Lisanally (PDF). History Armagh. 2021. ISSN 1743-565X.
8. Ó Ceallaigh, Seamus (1951). "A Preliminary Note on Some of the Nomenclature on the Map of S.E. Ulster". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 81 (1): 39. ISSN 0035-9106. JSTOR 25510763.
9. Ó Ceallaigh, Séamus (1951). Gleanings from Ulster History: Punann Ó Chois Bhanna. Cork University Press. p. 115.
10. Ó Duibhín, Ciarán (2020). "Sloinnte Gaelacha in Ultaibh: Irish surnames in Ulster".