McGaughey Family Crest, Coat of Arms & McGaughey Name Origin

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Origin of the Name McGaughey

The origin of the name McGaughey was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. In Irish the names McGaughey and McGahey are from the Gaelic O'Cobhthaigh sept name, which is often also anglicized as Coffey and MacEachaidh. Other variants of this name include O'Coffey, Coffey, Cowig, Caughey, McCaughet, McCahy, McCahey, McGaughie, McGauhy, McGahy, Megahey, McGaffey and Gaffey. Several distinct septs of the name were prominent in mediaeval times, of which two are well represented in their original homeland in modern times. These are O'Coffey of Corcalaoidhe, in south west Cork , where local pronunciation often makes the name Cowig or Cowhey, as in the place Dunocowhey called after them. A second minor sept was a branch of the O'Maddens of Ui Maine, whose descendants are found today in County Roscommon. A third sept, once of considerable importance, but now scattered, belonged to Westmeath where they were famous as a Bardic family. The most distinguished of these was Dermot O'Coffey, 1580, the Gaelic poet.