Surname McEnelly - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McEnelly: What does the surname McEnelly mean?
The surname McEnelly is of Irish origin. It is believed to be anglicized from the Gaelic name "Mac an Fhailghigh," which roughly translates as "son of the poor man" — "mac" meaning son, "an" meaning of, and "fhailghigh" meaning poor man. Surnames that begin with Mc or Mac are patronymic, meaning they were originally used to indicate sonship. So, someone named Mac an Fhailghigh would have been understood to be the son of a poor man. Like many Irish surnames, McEnelly likely has various spellings due to phonetic translations from Gaelic to English. However, historical records for the specific surname McEnelly are sparse, so much of its history is speculative based on conventions of Irish surname origins. Additionally, meanings of surnames can be symbolic and do not necessarily reflect the economic status of the individual bearing the name. Such surnames were often based on a significant or characteristic event.
Order DNA origin analysisMcEnelly: Where does the name McEnelly come from?
The surname McEnelly appears to be of Irish origin. The prefix "Mc" in Irish names usually means "son of", suggesting that the name could have originally signified "son of Enelly". However, it is difficult to find definitive information on this particular surname, implying that the name may be quite unusual or its spelling may have changed significantly over time. Various ancestry and genealogy databases do show people with the McEnelly surname currently living in the United States. Therefore, while it's difficult to conclusively state how common the surname is, it appears to be most prevalent in the United States today.
Variations of the surname McEnelly
The surname McEnelly appears to be of Irish origin but is relatively rare, which makes determining its variants and associated surnames a bit challenging.
However, it can be assumed that it may have versions or relations to names with similar phonetics or spelling. Possible variants might include McAnally, MacAnally, McAnelly, McAnulty, and McInally, all of which have Irish roots and similar sounds.
The surname could also potentially be linked to the surname McNeill, due to the "Mc" prefix and "n" followed by "ll", which is a common pattern in Irish names. Besides the phonetic similarities, the origins of these names also coincide as they are all mainly from Northern Ireland.
It is also worth noting how Irish names sometimes differ in spellings based on the dialect, Anglicization, and historical changes in literacy rates that caused some names to be written differently.
However, without thorough historical and genealogical research, making definite ties between these names could be inaccurate. As a result, it would be recommended to anyone interested in learning more about the potential variants and history of the surname McEnelly to contact a genealogist or conduct deeper personal research.
Famous people with the name McEnelly
- Robert McEnelly: Robert McEnelly is a music composer and music producer from Los Angeles, California, known for works such as his ORANGE series, Grammy-nominated album “Limits” and CMA-nominated “Love Mercy”.
- James McEnelly: James McEnelly is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer. His credits include "The Muppet Show", "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning", and "The Little Mermaid II: Return of the Sea Witch".
- Chris McEnelly: Chris McEnelly is an American film director and screenwriter, known for his independent feature films "The Big Bad Wolf" and "Beautiful Bums".
- David McEnelly: David McEnelly is a Scottish comedian and actor who can be seen in the television series "Outnumbered". He is a BAFTA award-winning comedy writer for a variety of BBC shows, and recently starred in "The Three Musketeers" as Planchet.
- Erin McEnelly: Erin McEnelly is an Australian actress, best known for her role in the 2016 TV series "Tidelands" as Siren Queen Calaena.
- Michael McEnelly: Michael McEnelly is a Scottish actor, best known for his portrayal of George Doyle in the long-running British soap opera "EastEnders".
- William McEnelly: William McEnelly was an American basketball player who played for the University of Michigan from 1953 to 1955. He won three Big Ten championships with the team, and his playing ability earned him the nickname "Pocket Rocket".
- Marty McEnelly: Marty McEnelly is a former Canadian Football League player who spent two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. He won the Grey Cup with the team in 1978.
- Joseph McEnelly: Joseph McEnelly was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played two seasons for the Seattle Mariners from 1989 to 1991. He currently serves as the Seahawks’ pitching coach.
- Helen McEnelly: Helen McEnelly was an American educator and academic administrator, best known as the president of the former woman's college Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, from 1974-1985.