Surname McAneeny - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McAneeny: What does the surname McAneeny mean?
The surname McAneeny is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Fhinne," which translates to the "son of the fair", "son of the blonde," or "son of the white/fair haired." The surname is most commonly found in counties Donegal and Tyrone in the northern part of Ireland. As with many patronymic surnames, the prefix "Mac" denotes "son of", signifying a familial connection or lineage. Surnames like McAneeny often illustrate a certain characteristic of the initial bearer, in this case, perhaps denoting someone with fair or blonde hair or with a fair complexion. Over centuries, the spelling of such surnames can change due to a variety of factors, including phonetic spelling and regional dialects. Therefore, McAneeny may also be found in variations such as McAneny, MacAnenny, and McAneany, among others.
Order DNA origin analysisMcAneeny: Where does the name McAneeny come from?
The surname McAneeny is of Irish origin. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac an Fhinein," which means "son of the Anon," referring to an unknown ancestor. The name is derived from the root "fine" which means ‘kinship’, ‘tribe’ or ‘family’ in Gaelic. The prefix "Mc" is a patronymic element implying "son of." Like many Irish surnames, it has a variety of different spellings, including McAneny, MacAneny, MacAnenny, and others.
Today, the surname McAneeny is not exceptionally common. However, it can be found more frequently in regions that have seen significant Irish diaspora over the centuries. Areas such as the northeast of the United States (especially places like New York and Pennsylvania), Canada, Australia, and the UK possess higher concentrations of individuals bearing this last name. Of course, in Ireland itself, the name can still be found, though it is not particularly widespread.
Variations of the surname McAneeny
The surname McAneeny is of Irish origin and like many Irish surnames, it has various spellings and variants due to transliteration from Gaelic to English, family preference and misunderstanding or errors in record-keeping. The surname originates from the Gaelic "Mac an Fhionnaigh" meaning "son of the fair-haired".
Some of the known McAneeny variants or alternate spellings include: McEneny, McAneny, McEnany, MacAneny, McAnany, McAneany, McAnenny, McEnenny, Mackananny, McAneney, McEneaney, MacEneaney, MacEneany, MacEneny, McEneany and even Mackenenny.
These alternate spellings were used interchangeably throughout history and in different regions both in Ireland and countries Irish immigrants settled, primarily the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Furthermore, some branches of the family may have dropped the 'Mc' or 'Mac' prefix over time. Therefore, there could be Aneny, Enany, Eneaney and sort of variants existing.
Understandably, searching family genealogy with this surname may require one to explore all of these spellings and variations to ensure complete and comprehensive research.
Famous people with the name McAneeny
- Sean McAneny: Actor from Descendants 2 and 3.
- Shauna McAneny: Irish footballer who plays for Trinity College Dublin Women.
- Rebecca McAneny: Voice-over artist and fitness enthusiast.
- Ciara McAneny: Freelance filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC.
- James McAneny: Stand-up comedian and host of the Podcast “Let’s Pretend”.
- Brian McAneny: Professional boxer from New York City.
- Steven McAneny: Jazz musician who has toured with prominent names such as Herbie Hancock.
- Brendan McAneny: American soccer player who played for the USL’s Charlotte Eagles in the 2010s.
- Val McAneny: American football executive and one of the first female general managers in the NFL, with the Oakland Raiders.
- Denise McAneny: Television writer and producer, whose credits include the popular HBO show Game of Thrones.