Map of Ireland showing where the Mcdonough arms are recorded
The Mcdonough arms were recorded in Carlow, c. 1619.
Carlow was small, rich farming country in south-eastern Ireland, taken early by Norman families. Good land kept the same families on it, and staying put is what puts a name in the records.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Ireland in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in Ireland when the Mcdonough arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Ireland
The Ulster King of Arms granted coats of arms to individuals who proved their social standing and good character. These symbols were typically inherited by all legitimate descendants of the original holder. If a family branch wanted a unique look, they could apply for a specific change to their design through the office to ensure their identity remained distinct.
Granting authority
The Ulster King of Arms acted as the official body that regulated and issued all coats of arms throughout Ireland.
How they got arms
Families obtained their arms through formal grants issued by the office after proving their eligibility and paying the required fees.
Where arms were recorded
All official grants were recorded in the registers held by the Ulster King of Arms starting from the year 1552.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Carlow.
Origin & History of the Mcdonough Family in Ireland
The family name McDonough is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name Mac Donnchadha, which translates to son of Donnchadh. The name Donnchadh itself carries the meaning of brown-haired warrior or dark-haired chieftain. While the name is most famously associated with the province of Connacht in the west of Ireland, historical records confirm that members of the family were established in County Carlow by 1619. During this period, the family lived through a time of significant transition as the English administration expanded its control over Irish land. Families like the McDonoughs often held onto their local influence by adapting to these changing political structures while maintaining their ancestral identity. Their presence in Carlow suggests that the family had expanded far from their original western roots to become part of the social fabric of the Leinster region during the early seventeenth century.
Mcdonough Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Mac Donnchadha
Son of the brown-haired warrior or dark-haired chieftain.
This name
McdonoughDerived from the Gaelic patronymic indicating descent from a leader named Donnchadh.
also spelled
McDonough
McDonogh
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
MacLysaght, Edward. The Surnames of Ireland. 1985
Woulfe, Patrick. Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames. 1923
National Archives of Ireland, Inquisitions of the Province of Leinster (Inquisitionum in Officio Rotulorum Cancellariae Hiberniae Asservatarum)
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
lionCourage, strength and royalty
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
