McGinley - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Mac Fhionnghaile
Meaning: “fair valour”
Traditional stronghold: Donegal
Pronunciation: mick-GIN-lee; Irish Mac Fhionnghaile: mock IN-a-la
History of the McGinley name
McGinley is Mac Fhionnghaile, 'son of Fionnghal', a personal name meaning 'fair valour'. It is a Donegal name through and through: the sept belonged to the northwest of that county, and the name remains especially thick in the parishes of the Rosses, Gweedore and Fanad. It should not be confused with the Scottish-derived McKinley, which comes from a different Gaelic original. Donegal emigration carried McGinleys to Scotland, America and Australia in great numbers, and the name has since distinguished itself in golf, acting and letters on both sides of the Atlantic.
Variants: McGinlay · Ginley · MacGinley
Famous bearers of the name
- Paul McGinley - Dublin golfer of Donegal stock who captained Europe to Ryder Cup victory in 2014.
- Seán McGinley - Donegal-born actor of The Field, Braveheart and countless Irish productions.
- John C. McGinley - Irish-American actor best known as Dr Cox in Scrubs.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Gallagher · Boyle · Doherty · Sweeney · O'Donnell · Duffy · McLoughlin · Mooney