McEvoy — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe
Meaning: 'son of the woodsman' (interpretation uncertain)
Traditional stronghold: Laois
Pronunciation: MACK-ev-oy; Irish Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe: mock EE-vwee
History of the McEvoy name
McEvoy represents Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe, a name of uncertain meaning often linked to fíodhbhadhach, 'man of the wood'. The McEvoys were one of the Seven Septs of Laois, the ruling families of the old territory of Leix, and when the English broke Gaelic power there the leading members of the septs were transplanted to Kerry in 1607, though many of the name remained. Laois, Kildare and Dublin are still the McEvoy heartland. In Ulster and Louth the same anglicised form sometimes conceals a different name, Mac an Bheatha, 'son of life', usually written MacAvoy.
Variants: MacEvoy · McAvoy · MacAvoy
Famous bearers of the name
- Eleanor McEvoy — Singer-songwriter who wrote Only a Woman's Heart, anthem of the best-selling Irish album of its era.
- Johnny McEvoy — Ballad singer whose 1966 recording of Muirsheen Durkin topped the Irish charts.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Moore · Dunne · Fitzpatrick · Dowling · Dempsey · Brophy · Bergin · Delaney