Surname Aughey - Meaning and Origin

Aughey: What does the surname Aughey mean?

The last name Aughey is believed to be of Irish origin and a variant of the name Aughney. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic surname Ó hEochaidh, which is made up from two elements. The first part ‘ó’ meaning ‘descendant of’, and the second part ‘eochaidh’, which may have come from ‘eocha’, an ancient word meaning ‘horseman’ or ‘warrior’.

The name also appears in Scotland as Aughey, said to have been brought by settlers from Ireland, and derived from the personal name Ecceard, which was Latin for Ecgbeoht, which forms part of the Irish personal name Eochaidh. The name has also been found in County Down, with the form ‘Eccles’, as well as families of the name in Tyrone and Fermanagh, spelling their name Aughney.

The name may have been taken to England during the 16th century when many Gaelic Irish sought better opportunities abroad, after which the name evolved to the modern spelling Aughey. The surname is most common in England, according to the UK Census of 1881, and particularly in Lancashire and Irish counties in the north of England.

The Aughey family can be proud of their history, and the meaning behind their surname. It is ultimately a reminder of their ancestors’ strength and bravery and determination to pursue a better life.

Aughey: Where does the name Aughey come from?

Aughey is an Irish surname of Scottish origin. It is predominantly found in the counties of Antrim, Londonderry, and Tyrone of Northern Ireland today. Aughey is also common in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.

The Scottish surname Aughey first originated in Scotland in the 12th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic Mac Eachaidh, MacEacha, or MacEachern which translates as ‘son of the horseman’. The original Augheys were part of the local lordships in the highlands of Scotland.

Following the Scottish war of independence in the 1300’s, the Augheys migrated to the north of Ireland, along with many other Scottish families, and the name has remained in Ireland ever since.

Today, there are a number of variants of the surname Aughey used throughout Ireland. These include Aughe, MacAughey, Aughy, MacEughey, Aughey, MacAnaugh, MacAnaughy, MacEnaghy, McAuley, Ewghie, McAnaghey, and MacAnaghy.

The Augheys were a respected family in Scotland and in the north of Ireland and the surname remains common today. You can find Augheys in urban areas such as Belfast, and in rural areas such as the Sperrin Mountains where the original Augheys would have first settled upon their arrival in Ireland.

Variations of the surname Aughey

The surname Aughey is a variant of the Irish surname Aughy or Aughie, which is an anglicization of the native Irish surname Ó hEachaidh. The origin of the surname is from the Gaelic words ‘each’ meaning ‘horse’, and ‘aidh’, meaning ‘fire’ or ‘hearth’, thus 'descendant of the steed’. This Irish surname has many variant spellings of the same origin, such as Aughney, Aughney, Ahearn, Aghy, Aghie, Aghane, Aughane, Aheeney, Ohearn, and O'Heany.

The Aughey surname can be found in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. In Scotland, the surname can be found written as Auchie, Aughey, Aughy, Aughtie, Auctie, and Auty, while in Ireland, it can be found as Aheeney, Aheney, Auctie, Aughney, and Aughy. In the United States the surname is typically spelled as Aughey but can sometimes also be found as Aughy.

In Ireland, the Aughey family has been recorded as originally being based in County Armagh. In Scotland, variants of the surname were found in Clackmannan, Fife and Stirlingshire. In the U.S., the Aughey surname appears in the 1880 census of Randolph County Indiana, as well as other areas of the country.

Nowadays, many families with the surname Aughey can be found in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in the British Isles. The surname is currently most widespread in the states of California, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.

Famous people with the name Aughey

• John Aughey (1828-1911): Irish-born Australian Presbyterian minister
• Arthur Aughey (died 2004): British-born Irish professor of Politics
• Robert Aughey (1820-1901): Australian politician and lawyer
• Arthur Aughey (1841-1925): Canadian BJMP lawyer
• Mark Aughey (born 1982): Northern Irish footballer
• Paul Aughey (born 1964): high jumper from New Zealand
• Samuel Aughey (1833-1917): American Presbyterian minister
• Ryan Aughey (born 1993): English footballer
• Robert Aughey Jr. (1913-1991): Australian politician
• Brent Aughey (born 1984): Australian rugby league footballer
• William Aughey (born 1947): American artist and professor
• John Aughey (born 1960): Australian rugby league footballer

Other surnames

AugheAugher