McCarley
An Irish and Scottish surname that likely means “son of Carley,” from a personal name that is itself a local or nickname form.
The #8,072 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 75,194 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McCarley is a Gaelic-style surname built on Mac/Mc, meaning “son of,” plus Carley. The second element is not completely certain: in many cases it is treated as an Anglicized form of an older personal name, probably related to a Gaelic or local nickname source that was later fixed as a surname. In practice, McCarley is best understood as a patronymic surname formed from a father’s or ancestor’s given name rather than from an occupation or place.
History
The name is found chiefly in the English-speaking world, especially in Ireland, Scotland, and among families descended from Irish or Scottish emigrants. Like many Mc- surnames, it became more stable in spelling after migration and official record-keeping in Britain, North America, and elsewhere. Modern American bearers may descend from several unrelated families whose surnames converged on the McCarley spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the second element is uncertain, McCarley is one of those surnames where the familiar spelling hides a much older and less transparent family name underneath.