Surname MacGafney - Meaning and Origin
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MacGafney: What does the surname MacGafney mean?
The last name MacGafney is derived from the native Gaelic language of Scotland. The first part of the name, "Mac," refers to the son of a particular ancestor. The second part of the name, "Gafney," is derived from the Gaelic term "gaimhreadh," which roughly translates to "domestic servant" or "hostage."
Historically, the main area of presence for the MacGafney name was in Southern Scotland, especially Dundee. Research indicates that the surname dates back to the 16th century.
The MacGafney name has since spread throughout the world as descendants migrated to other areas. The name is now seen, although less frequently, on the British Isles, North America, and Australasia.
Given the translation of "domestic servant," many people of this surname may have entered service to wealthier families centuries ago, possibly serving as hoteliers, stewards, officers, and/or managers. It is likely that some MacGafneys moved to other areas as messengers, servants, and bondsmen of the Crown and its allies.
The proud MacGafney community is diverse, yet united by one shared family name, and the strong Scottish cultural background from which the name originates.
Order DNA origin analysisMacGafney: Where does the name MacGafney come from?
The last name MacGafney is mostly found in places with Irish ancestry. Many of the people who bear the MacGafney name originally came from the island of Ireland or are the descendents of Irish families who settled in Britain, North America, Australia and New Zealand. In the United States, the MacGafney name is most common in New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts – all states with large Irish-American populations.
In Canada, the name is most commonly found in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. In the United Kingdom, the best places to find the name are England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
In terms of other countries, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa all have significant populations of people with the MacGafney name, while smaller numbers can be found in countries such as France, Argentina and the Czech Republic.
The spelling of the MacGafney name is quite varied and is seen as a number of different variations, such as Magafney, MacGavan and McGaffney. The name itself is thought to be a variation of the Gaelic MacGabhainn, which means ‘son of the blacksmith’.
Overall, MacGafney is most commonly found in the countries and states associated with Irish immigration, with the population numbers growing in the 21st century.
Variations of the surname MacGafney
The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname MacGafney are MacGeafey, MacGeavy, MacGeffey, MacGeiffey, McGaffey, McGaffie, McGaffy, McGaffin, MacGoffey, MacCaffey, MacCaffie, MacCaffin, MacGaffin, McGavey, McGiffey, McGiffin, MacGiffin and MacKaffie.
MacGafney is an Irish Gaelic surname derived from the old Gaelic name MagTáimhe, which means ‘descendants of Táimhe’. Táimhe is thought to be a derivative of the old Irish name Tadhg, meaning ‘a poet’ or ‘a philosopher’.
Over time, Gaelic surnames had multiple spellings due to changes in spelling conventions, and more recently due to the process of “anglicization”. Anglicization is a process where people inadvertently change the spelling of the original Gaelic name to an anglicized version of the name, making it simpler for non-Gaelic speakers and readers to understand. In addition, due to the large number of Gaelic emigrants from the British Isles to the United States, many of these surnames were Americanized over time.
The surname MacGafney is mainly found in Ireland, Scotland, England, Canada, United States and Australia, with the name being more present in the former three regions due to the large number of Gaelic emigrants from the British Isles.
Famous people with the name MacGafney
- Muireann MacGafney: Irish female actor and comedian
- Henry MacGafney: football player for the University of Colorado
- Don MacGafney: Scottish footballer in the 1920s
- John MacGafney: former professional hockey player for the Atlanta Flames
- Annajane MacGafney: television news anchor for ABC Network
- Bruce MacGafney: former United States Air Force Major General
- Timothy MacGafney: American attorney and philosophy professor
- E. MacGafney: an American comedian and radio personality
- Carmen MacGafney: poet, playwright, and busker
- Shane MacGafney: Irish hurler
- Garrett MacGafney: contemporary artist
- Kenneth MacGafney: American musician and songwriter
- Robert MacGafney: American artist and sculptor
- Andrew MacGafney: American professional box lacrosse player
- Canberra MacGafney: American basketball player at the University of Connecticut
- Caitlin MacGafney: Irish hurdler