McCreesh Family Crest, Coat of Arms & McCreesh Name Origin

Get Free Updates about Family Crests, New Information, Stories, Special Offers and more with our Occasional Newsletter Updates

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

Last Name

Origin of the Name McCreesh

The McCreesh family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. The Irish name McCreesh is derived from the Gaelic MacRaois sept who were a branch of the McGuinness sept which in Gaelic is rendered as MacAonghuis. The name means 'son of Angus' while the Chief of the sept was known as Magennis. McCreesh is most often associated with the ancient Oriel territory, in modern-day County Louth. Like the Chiefs of many of the great Irish septs Magennis took advantage of the English policy of 'surrender and regrant' early in the seventeenth century. Prior to this they were often at loggerheads with the ecclesiastical authorities and they showed a tendency to accept the tenets of the Reformation. Conforming bishops include two Magennises - one of the diocese of Down, the other of Dromore. However, by 1598 the Magennis chief of the time, whose father was officially regarded as 'the civillest of all the Irish in these parts', had joined Tyrone in rebellion, who happened to be his brother-in-law, and thus 'returned to the rudeness of the country'.