McCaffrey Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McCaffrey last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the McCaffrey last name
Meaning of the McCaffrey last name: the son of Godfrey or of Eachmharcach. McCaffrey derives from Gaelic Mac Gafraidh, son of Godfrey, a Norse-influenced personal name. Smith also mentions the name Eachmharcach, horse rider. The surname is strongly associated with Fermanagh. Variants of the last name such as McCaffery and Caffrey also occur in Ulster records.
Arms associated with the McCaffrey name
Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.
Get your full McCaffrey family history
This is only a glimpse of the McCaffrey story. The full McCaffrey history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted McCaffrey coat of arms. Get the full McCaffrey report.
McCaffrey name FAQ
What does the McCaffrey name mean?
The son of Godfrey or of Eachmharcach.
Where does the McCaffrey surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States and Canada.
Is there a McCaffrey coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McCaffrey coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.