Surname McConnolly - Meaning and Origin
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McConnolly: What does the surname McConnolly mean?
The last name McConnolly is a variant of the Irish surname 'Mac Conghaile', derived from the Gaelic 'Conghaile', meaning 'fierce as a hound'. It is an Anglicised form of the surname, which is still common in Ireland today.
The Irish surname is derived from a root word in the Old Irish language meaning 'hound', and is thought to have been originally used as a nickname for a particularly brave and fierce fighter. It is believed to have originated in the Gaelic kingdom of Ulaid in Northern Ireland, where its first recorded bearers lived.
The last name McConnolly is a combination of Mac, an Irish prefix meaning 'son of', and Conghaile, which means 'fierce as a hound'. Since the surname is derived from a nickname, variants such as McConnolly, McCohnelly, MacConley, MacConnel, and McConnell are also common, reflecting its varied pronunciation and spelling throughout the centuries.
Apart from Ireland, the McConnolly family name can also be found in Scotland, England, and other countries of the former British Empire, as many Scots and English emigrated to these places during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The last name McConnolly is a proud reminder of the strength and courage of the family’s ancestors, and of the McConnolly family’s rich and vibrant Irish heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisMcConnolly: Where does the name McConnolly come from?
The last name McConnolly is most commonly found in Ireland. The name is believed to come from the Irish Gaelic name "Mac Conghail", which means "son of Conghail". The name is derived from an old Irish clan from Meath and Cavan, who were descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Today, the surname McConnolly is mentioned in the maps of Ireland from counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Tipperary to Dublin. It is also found in other parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that over 4,000 people have a McConnolly variation as their last name. Meanwhile, one in 24,000 individuals in the United States have the surname.
In Canada, an estimated 850 to 950 people have the surname, and over a thousand individuals in Australia are found to have the variation. There is also a large Irish diaspora found in Argentina, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand and South Africa. It is likely that a number of people with the last name McConnolly have settled in these countries over the past centuries.
Variations of the surname McConnolly
The surname McConnolly is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Mac Conghaile. The MacConghaile is an ancient Irish clan, originating in County Galway, Ireland. It is a surname of patronymic origin, meaning “son of Conghal".
Variants of the surname MacConneally include: MacConely, MacConnell, MacConnellie, MacConnel, MacConneill, MacConnill, and McConnaille.
Variants of the surnames MacConally, MacConnelly, MacConnolly, MacKoneally, MacKonelly, Machonaly, and MacKonally all stem from the Irish surname Mac Conghaile.
It should be noted that the various spellings of the surname vary greatly in both usage and popularity within Ireland.
The Anglicized version of the surname, McConnolly, is the most popular of all the variants as it has been used throughout the centuries and has inspected more countries than any of the other variants.
In addition, many non-Irish individuals may not realize that the surnames McConnolly, Conolly, Connally and Conally all share the same origins, as all are based on the same ancient Irish clan name of Mac Conghaile.
In America, Connally was shortened to Connolly and eventually became Mc Connolly.
The surname McConnolly could be spelled Mac Connally, McConley, MacConnel, MacConnell, MacConnellie, MacConneill, MacConnill, McConnally, McConnelly, and Machonally as well, depending upon the region and usage of the surname.
Famous people with the name McConnolly
- Bill McConellly: Best known as the former host of the BBC One comedy show Have I Got News For You.
- Duane McConellly: Film actor, co-starred in the 2006 romantic comedy Just My Luck.
- Rick McConellly: Former bass guitarist for the popular English band McFly.
- Bill McConelly: Jazz guitarist, led his own group and performed extensively in the New York area.
- Ross McConellly: Award-winning producer and director of numerous stage productions.
- Dave McConelly: Actor, writer, and stand-up comedian who is well-known for playing Herb Keckleen in NBC's television show Wings.
- Bruce McConelly: Singer-songwriter who scored an international hit with his 1984 single "Somebody's Watching Me".
- Chris McConelly: Footballer who represented England and starred for Liverpool in the 1990s.
- Fraser McConelly: Voice actor most well-known for voicing radio character "Piggy" in Bob the Builder.
- Rob McConelly: American Olympic silver medalist in the 800 meters at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.