McAleese — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Mac Giolla Íosa
Meaning: 'son of the devotee of Jesus'
Traditional stronghold: Antrim, Derry
Pronunciation: mack-a-LEES; Irish Mac Giolla Íosa: mock GILL-a EE-sa
History of the McAleese name
McAleese is Mac Giolla Íosa, 'son of the servant of Jesus', one of the devotional surnames formed in the medieval Irish church. It belongs to the northeast of Ulster, above all to counties Derry and Antrim, where variants such as McLeese, McAleer? never applied, but McLise and Gilleece show the range of anglicisation the name underwent. The Scottish Gaelic cognate produced McLeish across the water. The name entered every Irish household when Belfast-born Mary McAleese served two terms as President of Ireland, from 1997 to 2011, on a platform of building bridges.
Variants: McLeese · McLise · Gilleece
Famous bearers of the name
- Mary McAleese — President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011, the first from Northern Ireland.
- Martin McAleese — Accountant, dentist and senator who worked quietly on loyalist engagement during the peace process.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Connor · Quinn · Doherty · McDonnell · McLoughlin · Kane · Cunningham · McGee