McKinley (surname)

McKinley is a Scottish-Irish surname historically associated with northwestern Ireland's former Kingdom of Tir Chonaill, northeastern Ireland's former Ulidia (kingdom) and the Highlands of Scotland or the lands of today's Donegal, today's (in modern usage) Ulster, and the Scottish Highlands. The McKinley are of the ancient Ulaid race and are a branch of its MacDunleavy (dynasty) royals (original Gaelic language Mac Duinnshléibhe) of Ulidia kingdom. Two etymologies are proposed for the origin of the surname McKinley. The surname, like that of the McClay and the Clan MacLea, is an Anglicization of a Scottish-Gaelic slurring of the Irish-Gaelic Mac or Ó Duinnshléibhe. A second entomology proposes that the Anglicized surname McKinley, like the surname MacNulty (Gaelic language Mac an Ultaigh, trans. "of Ulidia"), arose originally from a Gaelic language 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 Tir accorded the high Gaelic status of "ollahm leighis" or the official physicians to the O'Donnell dynasty kings of Tyrconnell and practiced as physicians while exiled in Scotland.[1] The nickname was Mac in 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 (medical) having been for millennia, in Gaelic Ireland and elsewhere, a commonly employed medical practice. Scholars, adhering to either proposed etymology for McKinley, equate the McKinley with the MacNulty as MacDonlevy.[7]

Notable people surnamed McKinley include:

See also

MacKinley

References

  1. ↑ Edward MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland, 5th Edition, Irish Academic Press, Dublin, 1980, p 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 Ulidia. 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. ↑ , 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 (Ulidian) 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.