McEvoy
An Irish surname usually taken as Mac an Bhuígh, meaning “son of the yellow-haired one” or a similar descriptive nickname.
The #6,020 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,043 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McEvoy is an Anglicized Irish surname, typically explained as from Gaelic Mac an Bhuígh or a closely related form, meaning “son of the yellow-haired man” or “son of the fair/yellow one.” The element mac means “son,” while the second part is a descriptive nickname rather than a place-name. Older writers recorded several spellings, including MacEvoy and MacVoy, reflecting how Irish names were reshaped into English spelling.
History
The surname is found in Ireland and in records of Irish families anglicized under various spellings. 19th-century surname writers grouped McEvoy with other Mac- names of Gaelic origin, and the name remains especially associated with Irish usage. In modern records, McEvoy is the common standardized form, while MacEvoy and McEvoy appear in older materials.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older genealogical sources often placed McEvoy alongside a cluster of Irish surnames that look different in English but can share similar Gaelic naming patterns.
From the historical record
“MacAbee, Maclveagh, Mac Aveigh, MacAvey; MacAvoy, MacEvoy, MacVoy ; Mac Veagh, MacVeigh, MacVey, MacVay, MacVea, Vahy , Veigh; Veasy, Vesey, etc. tTlAC An t3iAX)CAi5, MacVeety,”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames