Surname Mcildowney - Meaning and Origin
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Mcildowney: What does the surname Mcildowney mean?
The last name Mcildowney is an Anglicized version of the Irish name Mac Giolla Domhnaigh, which literally translates to “son of the devotee of St. Domhnall.” St. Domhnall was a 5th century Irish saint who was renowned for his great holiness and zeal for his faith. Because of his status as a saint, people began to carry his name as a patronymic and the surname Mcildowney emerged as a result.
The Mcildowney surname also has associations with the O'Dowd clan, which was a powerful local ruling family based in Dundonald in what is now County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. As members of the O'Dowd clan married or had children with non-clan members, the name started to spread beyond the Dundonald area and many individuals with the Mcildowney surname eventually relocated to other parts of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The Mcildowney name has come to represent loyalty, dedication, and hard work, particularly within certain parts of Ireland that still honor St. Domhnall's legacy. It's a name that carries with it a strong sense of cultural identity and pride, and it will continue to be associated with St. Domhnall's devotion to faith in the years to come.
Order DNA origin analysisMcildowney: Where does the name Mcildowney come from?
The last name Mcildowney is most commonly seen today in the United Kingdom. There are currently an estimated 964 people with that surname living in the UK. The name is Irish in origin, derived from the old Gaelic surname Mac Giolla Domhnaigh which translates as "son of a devotee of the church" or “son of the servant of the church.”
It is most prevalent in the county of Tyrone, Northern Ireland where 314 people with the last name Mcildowney currently live. The second most common area is the county of Donegal, also in Northern Ireland, with an estimated 124 people with the surname. Counties Wexford and Cork in Ireland as well as Lancaster in England have a combined estimated population of 43 people with Mcildowney as a surname.
Additionally, there are notable Mcildowneys throughout the world. Two members of the British Football Team came from families with the last name Mcildowney and the family is present in different countries, including the United States and Australia.
The surname Mcildowney is a remnant of Irish ancestry and a historical reminder of the good work done by members of the Irish church during medieval times. It is still alive and well today, with estimated 964 people in the United Kingdom holding the name.
Variations of the surname Mcildowney
Mcildowney is a surname derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Mac Giolla Dhoinmhnaigh, which means the son of the devotee of St. Dunan. It is an anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Giolla Dhoinmhnaigh and a variant of the following names: Macilvenney, Macilvenny, Mac Elvaney, Mac Elveney, Mac Ilvaney, McElvainey, McElvaney, McIlvaney, McIldowney, McIlvenny, McElvaney, McElveney and MacIlvaine.
The Mac Giolla Dhoinmhnaigh surname is a sept of the Ui Oilioll Mór clan, which is the larger grouping of O'Neill of Ulster. It was once located in the barony of Corran in County Sligo in northwest Ireland.
Mcildowney is mostly found in Ireland and Scotland, especially in Ulster and the Highlands, but is also seen in England and Wales due to migration.
Spelling variations of the name Mcildowney may include: McElvena, McElveny, MacGilvenna, MacIlvaine, MacIldowny, MacIlvenny, McElvaney, McIlvenny, McElveney, MacIlvenny, McIldowney, McIllvenny, McElveny, McIlvaney, MacGilvonny and MacElvaine.
Surnames related to Mcildowney include O'Loughney, Mac Gawley, MacGillivray, Macdonnelly, McGrory, MacAwley, McLoughney, MacFarlane, MacElvainy, MacNevin, Macinvenny, MacCloughney, McTighe, MacCluffer, MacElvy, MacElvainey, McElvainy, McElvany, MacLoughney, McElvainey, MacIlvany and MacIlvainy.
Famous people with the name Mcildowney
- Leslie McIldowney: Editor-in-Chief of the widely-circulated periodical, Philadelphia Style;
- JJ McIldowney: the former Dean of Students at La Salle University;
- BJ McIldowney: former international relations professor at Princeton University;
- Stephanie McIldowney: a published author, currently on the faculty at the University of California, San Diego;
- Collette McIldowney: a teacher and the founding head of the Shakespeare Canon Repertory Theatre;
- Marise McIldowney: a prominent lawyer and legal mentor in Philadelphia;
- Tony McIldowney: a renowned editor-in-chief of The Atlantic Monthly;
- Jack McIldowney: the executive director of the Lowell Farms Foundation;
- Elizabeth McIldowney: a published writer and the current Programs Director for the Open Society Foundations;
- Sean McIldowney: the author and leading researcher at the International Commission on the Social Sciences;
- Andrew McIldowney: a successful entrepreneur and Co-Founder of the financial services company, Lein;
- Pat McIldowney: the first woman to serve as the Fire Commissioner of the City of Philadelphia;
- Catherine McIldowney: a prominent civil rights advocate and current Assistant Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law;
- Jesse McIldowney: an actor and the star of the award-winning television series, The Fosters;
- Liam McIldowney: a celebrated Olympic medalist and former decathlon champion;
- Brett McIldowney: the head men's lacrosse coach at the University of Notre Dame;
- Richard McIldowney: a prominent venture capitalist and the Founder/CEO of RVC Capital;
- David McIldowney: an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and Director of Photography for ABC News;
- Eddie McIldowney: a renowned sound engineer and ten-time Grammy Award winner;
- Matthew McIldowney: a notable philanthropist and the Former Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Boys and Girls Club of America.