McKinley (surname)

McKinley, MacKinley or Mackinlay is a Scottish and Irish surname historically associated with northwestern Ireland's County Donegal, the over-kingdom of Ulaid in northeastern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.

One derivation given is that the McKinley are of the ancient Ulaid race and are a branch of its "Red Branch" MacDunleavy (dynasty) royal house of the Dal Fiatach which dominated the kingship of the over-kingdom of Ulaid (original Gaelic language Mac Duinnshléibhe). Etymology for the origins of the surname proposes that the Anglicized surname McKinley, like the surname MacNulty (Gaelic Mac an Ultaigh, trans. "son of the ultonian, ulidian or ulsterman"), arose originally from a Gaelic nickname given the deposed MacDunleavy dynasty royals while exiled in Tirconnell and elsewhere. Being, also, one of Ireland's ancient hereditary medical families, the MacDunleavy (variant English spelling MacDonlevy) were in Tirconnell accorded the high Gaelic status of "ollahm leighis" or the official physicians to the O'Donnell clan in County Donegal and practiced as physicians while exiled in Argyll, Scotland.[1] The nickname was Mac an Leigh. Per this scenario the Gaelic language patronymic forming prefix "Mac" (meaning "descended of")[2][3][4] is joined to the Gaelic language "Léigh" meaning leech, but denoting a physician.[5][6] Leeching having been for millennia, in Gaelic Ireland and elsewhere, a commonly employed medical practice.[7]

Otherwise, the name is said to be of Scottish origin, meaning 'son of Finlay'.[8][9]

Notable people surnamed McKinley include:

See also

References
  1. Edward MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland, 5th Edition, Irish Academic Press, Dublin, 1980, pp. 238, 292, citing to 2 entries in The Annals of the Four Masters, which is a historical chronicle that records, among other matter, the births and deaths of Gaelic nobility. The first entry cited is an entry recording the 1395 A.D. death of a Maurice, the son of one “Paul Utach”, who is, himself, recorded there to be “Chief Physician of Tyrconnell” and also as “Paul the Ulidian”. It is there in the Annals further stated by its authors of the father Paul Ultach that “This is the present usual Irish name of the Mac Donlevy, who were originally chiefs of Ulaid. The branch of the family who became physicians to O’Donnell are still extant (at time of compilation of the Annals in the 17th century just after the fall of the last Gaelic sovereignty of Tyrconnell in 1607), near Kilmacrenan, in the county of Donegal.” The second citation is to an entry recording the 1586 A.D. death of "Owen Utach", who is therein noted to be a particularly distinguished and skilled physician. The Annals compilers further elaborate of Owen Ultach at this entry that “His real name was Donlevy or, Mac Donlevy. He was physician to O’Donnell.”
  2. Adolph, Anthony Collins Tracing Your Irish Family History (2010) Harper Collins, Part 4 “Tracing ancient Irish roots”, p. 232, noting that the Mac prefix element of a Gaelic patronymic surname or clan name is not actually the Gaelic word Mac, meaning in English son, but, is a shortened form of the original pre 11th century Gaelic prefix “mac meic” meaning “the son of the son of … etc.”
  3. Also, The World Book Dictionary, in 2 volumes, Volume 2 (L-Z), Chicago, World Book, Inc., © 2005, ISBN 978-0-7166-0201-9 (set), ISBN 0-7166-0201-6 (set), p. 1528 “patronymic … a name derived from name of paternal ancestor, especially by addition of a prefix … (usage example) MacDonald meaning ‘descendant of Donald’ …”
  4. The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, in 2 volumes, Oxford, Oxford University Press, © 1971, 26th printing July, 1987, Vol. 1 (A-O), p. 1960, noting the “Mac” and “O” element of a Gaelic language patronymic normally functions as a dynastic claim, “O, O’ … The Irish word ō, ua, OIr. au, ‘descendant’, used as a prefix of Irish patronymic surnames … a member of an ancient Irish family. … P. Gillmore Hunter’s Arcadia, An Irishman who claims his direct descent from Finn McCoul or some king whose name begins with an ‘O’ or ‘Mc’. ” The prefixes, however, are as in this etymology for McKinley, in fact though rarely, attached to, themselves, rare Gaelic language nickname surnames. See Anthony Adolf Collins Tracing Your Irish History Harper Collins (2010), pp. 230–233, also, noting additionally, though, that the normal function of these alternative prefixes is to claim lineage to a royal house.
  5. Susan Wilkinson, “Early Medical Education in Ireland”, Irish Migration Studies in Latin America, Vol. 6, No. 3 (November 2008), p. 157
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-08-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Origin of the Surname, McNulty, and its Association with the McDonlevys/Dunleavys of County Down, section “Dunleavy Variants: Dunlops, Leavys, Levingstones and McKinlays”, also, noting William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was of Antrim (n) stock, noting that the McKinley were actually in association with the McNulty in exile in Tirconnell, noting that like McNulty, McKinley was also an agnomen of the Donlevy physicians of Tirconnell, and noting, finally, at section “Migration of the Duleavys from County Down” a significant early presence of the McKinley name in Tirconnell
  7. Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Priest of the Diocese of Limerick, Member of the Council, National Academy of Ireland, Irish Names and Surnames, © 1967 Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, in Irish and English, pp. 355–356, The surname McKinley is here said to actually be synonymous with the surname McNulty.
  8. Black, George F. (1946). The Surnames of Scotland (1993 ed.). Edinburgh: New York Public Library/Birlinn. p. 413. ISBN 978-1-874744-07-8. MACKINLAY, MACKINLEY. This name is the Gaelic form of FINLAYSON, both meaning ′son of FINLAY,′ q.v. In Gaelic orthography the name is MacFionnlaigh. The name is distinctly a Scottish one, but is found also in the north of Ireland (Antrim) among the descendants of the Scots Plantation of Ulster.
  9. Grimble, Ian (1973). Scottish Clans and Tartans. Hamlyn. p. 171. ISBN 0600317269. it derives from Mac Fhionnlaigh, Son of Finlay
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