McGuinness Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McGuinness last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the McGuinness last name
Meaning of the McGuinness last name: son of Aonghus. McGuinness comes from the Gaelic Mag Aonghusa, "son of Aonghus", a personal name often explained as "one choice" or "true strength". The family were long-standing lords in County Down, and the name is still most common in Down, Armagh, Louth and Dublin. Magennis is a closely related spelling. A curious detail: the famous Guinness brewing family carried a form of the same name, and later took a title from the old McGuinness lands of Iveagh.
Arms associated with the McGuinness name
In Ireland, arms were often shown with a motto in Irish or Latin, and the McGuinness name shares in that long, proud tradition.
Get your full McGuinness family history
This is only a glimpse of the McGuinness story. The full McGuinness 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 McGuinness coat of arms. Get the full McGuinness report.
McGuinness name FAQ
What does the McGuinness name mean?
Son of Aonghus. Common variants include Magennis, McGenis, Guinness.
Where does the McGuinness surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Scotland.
Is there a McGuinness coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McGuinness coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.