McNamee
An Irish surname meaning “son of Nia,” from an old Gaelic personal name associated with a hero or champion.
The #5,917 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,004 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McNamee is an anglicized form of Irish Mac Naoim(h)í or a closely related Gaelic name tradition, usually explained as meaning “son of Nia” or “son of the champion/warrior.” The first element is Mac, “son of,” while the second element is linked to an old personal name whose sense is generally taken as heroic or martial. Because the historical spelling was not fully standardized, older sources sometimes give slightly different Gaelic reconstructions for the same surname.
History
The name is found in Irish records and later appears in English-language sources under spellings such as McNamee, MacNamee, and related forms. It is especially associated with Ulster and neighboring Irish regions, and it spread more widely through Irish migration. The 19th-century reference works you provided list it alongside other common Irish Mac surnames, but do not give a full derivation in the excerpted lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In the U.S. it remains a relatively uncommon surname, with fewer than 6,000 bearers in the 2010 census.
From the historical record
“triAC Conmf6e, MacConamy, MacConomy, MacNamee, Conmee, Mee, Meath, etc. TUac Con TiA t)uAile, Mac Naboola.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames