McCafferty
An Irish surname, likely meaning “son of Cafferty,” from an older Gaelic personal name.
The #6,579 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 59,986 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McCafferty is an Anglicized patronymic surname built on Mac/Mc, meaning “son of,” plus a personal name behind Cafferty. The second element is usually treated as a Gaelic personal name of uncertain exact derivation, sometimes linked with forms behind McCaffrey and related names. In plain terms, the name most likely means “son of Cafferty” or “descendant of Cafferty.”
History
The name is found chiefly in Ireland, especially in the north and northwest, and later spread with Irish migration to Britain, North America, and elsewhere. Historical spelling varies a lot, with McCafferty often appearing alongside McCaffrey and McCaffery as related or overlapping forms. The 19th-century source excerpt does not give a full derivation here, only confirms the surname was recognized in those families of names.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older records, McCafferty often sits in a cluster of very similar spellings, reflecting how Gaelic surnames were anglicized before spelling became fixed.
From the historical record
“McAnirlin, McAnulty, McArdle, McAtee, McAu- liffe, McAuslau, McAvey and McAyoy, McAwley, McBarron, McBay, McCabe ; McCafferty, Mc- Caffery, McCaffrey, and McCaffray ; McCaiia, McCaiiey, McCaiiill, McCallion, McCallum, Mc- 06”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)