McHugh
Mac Aodha · son of Aodh
McHugh is Mac Aodha in Irish, said mak AY-a, and means son of Aodh.
Aodh is the old Irish word for fire and one of the commonest men’s names in the country, which is why this surname appears as McHugh, Magee, McGee and Hughes depending on where you stand.
How it changes
- A man: Mac Aodha
- His daughter: Nic Aodha
- A woman who married into it: Bean Mhic Aodha
- The family together: Mhic Aodha
Where it comes from
Galway, Mayo, Fermanagh and Donegal
Also spelt
McHugh, MacHugh, Magee, McGee, Hughes
A name, not a pedigree
This is where the name came from, which is not the same as where you came from. Names were translated, anglicised, taken on by tenants and neighbours, and carried in by settlers who were no relation to the family that started them. To follow your own line, the 1901 and 1911 censuses are free and searchable, and give the county each person was born in.