Surname Spotlight: Gaughney

Some records give Gaffney; others give Gaughney. Both point to the same Irish family name. The name is usually explained as “Calf”.

Gaughney coat of arms

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Gaughney, so the heraldry linked to Gaffney is a starting point, not an automatic right.

How the spelling arose

Records show Gaughney as one of the forms Gaffney took over time. Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them. Other spellings include Gafeney and Gaffeney.

Research your Gaughney family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.