McHugh — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Mac Aodha
Meaning: 'son of Aodh (fire)'
Traditional stronghold: Galway, Donegal, Fermanagh
Pronunciation: mick-HYOO; Irish Mac Aodha: mock AY-a
History of the McHugh name
McHugh is Mac Aodha, 'son of Aodh', the ancient personal name meaning 'fire' that was among the most common in Gaelic Ireland; the same patronymic elsewhere became Hughes, McKay, McCue and Magee, depending on local pronunciation and the fashion of anglicisation. Distinct McHugh septs arose in Galway, where two families of the name held lands near Tuam, and in Fermanagh, Donegal and Leitrim, all of which remain strongholds. Because the name arose independently in so many places, McHughs from different counties are not necessarily kin, though all carry one of the oldest name-elements in Ireland.
Variants: MacHugh · McCue · Hughes (sometimes) · MacCue
Famous bearers of the name
- Jimmy McHugh — Irish-American songwriter of I Can't Give You Anything but Love and On the Sunny Side of the Street.
- Frank McHugh — Irish-American character actor of the Warner Brothers golden age.
- Joe McHugh — Donegal TD who served as Minister for Education.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Kelly · Gallagher · Lynch · Connolly · Burke · Maguire · Boyle · Doherty