Surname McIlhagga - Meaning and Origin
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McIlhagga: What does the surname McIlhagga mean?
The last name McIlhagga is an old Irish surname. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Giolla Iocaird, which is a derivation of the Old Irish name Cíll Drochait, meaning "devotee of (Saint) Drochat".
The Saint Drochat in question was a seventh-century churchman from Limerick, and it appears that the McIlhagga surname was held by members of a small, local clan descended from this religious figure. This is suggested by similar surnames from the same area such as Mac Giolla Iocaird, Mac Giolla Drochaid, and Mac Giolla Mychod, all of which are anglicized versions of the same Old Irish name.
The McIlhagga surname is not overly common, which is likely due to the fact that it was limited to a very localised area. It is, however, still utilised today in the Irish diaspora, and holds a great deal of cultural and historical significance. Those who bear the name can feel a connection to their ancestoral past, as it lives on through them in the present.
Order DNA origin analysisMcIlhagga: Where does the name McIlhagga come from?
The surname McIlhagga is of Irish origin. In the present day, it is most commonly found in Northern Ireland and Scotland. In Northern Ireland, there is a higher concentration of the name McIlhagga, as well as in Ulster-Scots speaking areas of Scotland.
In the UK census of 2001, McIlhagga was recorded as having 492 occurrences across England, Wales and Scotland, with the vast majority being concentrated in Northern Ireland and Ulster-Scots speaking areas.
In the USA, McIlhagga was recorded as having 158 occurrences across all 50 states. California has the highest occurrence of the name McIlhagga, with Texas and Florida being the next highest with around 20 occurrences each.
McIlhagga can also be found in parts of Australia, with the most occurrences being in New South Wales. The census of 2016 recorded a total of 63 people as having the McIlhagga surname in Australia.
Overall, the surname McIlhagga is found most commonly in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the USA, but can also be found across other areas of the British Isles and worldwide.
Variations of the surname McIlhagga
The surname McIlhagga is an Ancient Irish surname. The original Gaelic form of the name is Mac Giolla Eachaigh. It is an anglicized version of the Old Irish name Mac Giolla Chaich, which means "Son of the Servant or Follower of Eachach". It is derived from the first name Eachach, which can be translated to mean “horseman” or “warrior”.
The variants of the name include MacIlhagga, McIlhagga, Gilla-ig, MacIaga, MacEachaigh, Mac praying, MacIlheggy, Macilhegy, McLiggy, MacCliggy, MacIlhaggy, MacLiggy and Macogluighemashi.
McIlhagga is also sometimes spelled as McIlhaggle or MacIlhagga. It can also be found with various other spellings, such as McIlhaggie, MacIlhage, MacIlhagg, MacLage, and McLaggie.
A variant form of the McIlhagga surname is MacKegg, meaning “descendant of the sharp one” or “descendant of the fierce one”. Additional spellings of this surname include MacEgg, MacKeg, MacEga and MacKaga.
The surname has also been anglicized to McGlaughlin, which is common in parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland, as well as other variations such as Gullaghan, Gellaghan, Gilchen, and Gilligan.
In summary, the surname McIlhagga has numerous variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include McIlhagga, McIlhaggle, MacIlhagga, MacIaga, MacEachaigh, Mac praying, MacIlheggy, Macllgegy, McLiggy, MacCliggy, MacIlhaggy, MacLiggy, MacKnagg, MacKegg, MacEgg, MacKeg, MacEga, MacKaga, McGlaughlin, Gullaghan, Gellaghan, Gilchen, and Gilligan.
Famous people with the name McIlhagga
- Stephen McIlhagga: Northern Irish footballer who featured for clubs such as Drogheda United, Bangor and Portadown.
- Craig McIlhagga: Northern Irish footballer who featured for clubs such as Carrick Rangers, Knockbreda and East Belfast.
- Adam McIlhagga: Canadian ice hockey player for the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League.
- Ruby McIlhagga: Northern Irish former World Lacrosse champion and international with the Ireland women's national lacrosse team.
- Jonny McIlhagga: Northern Irish professional darts player who currently plays in the British Darts Organisation events and previously the British Darts Championship.
- Jock McIlhagga: Northern Irish professional darts player who currently plays in British Darts Organisation events.
- Dion McIlhagga: professional Canadian football player currently part of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.
- Peter McIlhagga: English professional footballer who is currently associated with Endeavour FC and previously featured for clubs such as Bracknell Town and AFC Totton.
- Allen McIlhagga: former Northern Irish footballer who played for clubs such as Newry Town and Glentoran.
- Anthony McIlhagga: Canadian footballer who featured for clubs such as Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps.