Surname McHenry - Meaning and Origin

Historical Celtic Roots found in McHenry's iGENEA DNA Test: Redefining a Family's Ancestry

Carrying the surname McHenry, I embarked on the intriguing journey of discovering more about my family’s history through an iGENEA DNA test. But the outcome of this genetic investigation far transcended my expectations, revealing an unexpected lineage back to formidable Celtic tribes.

N. McHenry

McHenry: What does the surname McHenry mean?

The last name McHenry is of Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eanraig" or "Mac Einar." It translates to "son of Henry." The prefix "Mac" or “Mc” in Gaelic names typically denotes "son of." The name Henry is of Germanic origin and means "home ruler" or "ruler of the household.” Therefore, McHenry could be interpreted to mean "son of the home ruler." This surname was first recorded in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times, contributing significantly to local politics and the region's culture. Over many centuries, the spelling of surnames was often changed due to linguistic and cultural shifts, resulting in different variations of the name, such as McEnery, McHenry, MacEnery, and others. As families migrated, they often adopted their surnames to better fit their new environments and languages.

McHenry: Where does the name McHenry come from?

The surname McHenry is of Irish origin and comes from the Gaelic name Mac Einri, where Mac means 'son of' and Einri is a form of the personal name Henry. Thus, Mac Einri is translated as "son of Henry". The name Henry itself comes from German origins, meaning "home ruler".

The McHenry surname is most common in the United States, but it can also be found in Northern Ireland, from where many people emigrated to America in the 19th and 20th centuries. Current census records suggest the highest concentrations of the McHenry surname are in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Illinois in the United States. In Ireland, variants of the name, such as Henry, can be particularly found in Ulster Province, specifically County Donegal and County Londonderry. Despite this, the McHenry surname is not incredibly common in either country, indicating it's of moderate rarity.

Variations of the surname McHenry

The surname McHenry has its origins in Scotland and Ireland. It is an Anglicization of the Gaelic name Mac Eanruig, which means "son of Henry." The name has a multitude of variants and related surnames owing to phonetic resellings over the centuries and the influences of different languages.

Some of the variations include McEnery, McEnroe, MacEnery, MacHenry, McInerney, MacInerney, McHenry, McKendry, McEndry, McHendrie, McHendry, and MacHendry. The prefixes 'Mc' and 'Mac' essentially carry the same meaning which is "son of". However, in Scotland 'Mac' is more commonly used whereas in Ireland, 'Mc' is more popular. This has led to a lot of crossover and mixing in the spelling of these surnames.

In terms of spellings, subtle variations such as interchanging 'i' and 'e', adding or subtracting an 'r', 'n', or 'd', or changing the final 'y' to 'ie' can be found due to the evolution of the language and localization.

Each version of the name may have subtle differences based on regional dialects, phonetic spellings, and anglicization over time. Therefore, the names listed above can provide a good start when tracing genealogy or exploring the history of the name McHenry.

Famous people with the name McHenry

• Brittany McHenry: She is a former ESPN reporter known for her coverage in American sports.
• John McHenry: He's a professional golfer known in the PGA circuit.
• Jim McHenry: An American swimmer who competed in multiple Olympic games.
• Britt McHenry: A former ESPN reporter and conservative commentator currently on Fox nation.
• Sean McHenry: A well-known American film editor who worked on several popular reality TV shows.
• Henry D. McHenry: A prominent American anthropologist and professor at the University of California, Davis.
• Robert McHenry: An American editor, encyclopedist, and writer who served as editor-in-chief for Encyclopædia Britannica.
• James McHenry: An Irish-American military surgeon and statesman from the 1800s, best known for signing the United States Constitution and whom Fort McHenry is named after.
• William McHenry: An Australian (Tasmanian) distillery owner known for his world-class gin.
• Susan McHenry: A prominent U.S. Figure Skating official and winner of the 2018 Janis K. Burkhardt Trophy.
• Edward McHenry: Architect, known for his design of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology among other works.
• Linda McHenry: An American author known for her novels and educational books in the field of insurance.
• Bill McHenry: An American saxophonist known for his Jazz tunes.

Other surnames

McHendry