Origin

There are several explanations as to the meaning of the distinguished name McAvoy, McVey and its variant forms. According to the one theory it is an Irish personal name meaning-son of life, and the name is found in many parts of Ulster, and also in parts of Leinster, and Connacht. Another theory is that the name is a variant of McGilleboy (the yellow or pale lad) and is said to have originated in County Mayo, but in the 16th Century was found in Sligo and Donegal. Yet another explanation is that the name means "wood or woodman", and is the name of a family in Leix who were anciently chiefs of Tuath Fiodhbhuidhe which appears to have been situated in the barony of Strodbally.

Patrick Kelly says the name (McEabouy, MacEvoy, MacAvoy) is from the Gaelic "aodh" meaning-fire (the Gaelic Fire-god, also a personal name anglicized Hugh) and "bnee" yellow, and that the name is translated "son of him of the yellow fire or the yellow fire-god"/ The name is very ancient and Kelly says that exact point of orgin cannot be determined.

Kelly gives the name (McEvaghe, McEveighe, McIvagh, McVaga, McVey, Macabee, MacIveagh, MacAveigh, MacAvey, MacVeagh, MacVeigh, MacVey, MacVay, MacVea, Mahy, Veigh) as coming from "bea(t)ha"-life, and is translated "son of life". He says date of orgin of the name is vague but it is fairly evident it existed in the Oirgialla of Ulster, and in the Ui Fiachrach and Ui Main of Connaught as early as the beginning of the 12th Century. (Note: Kelly says that because of some phonetic similiarity of the root name, the anglicized form has sometimes been confused with MacAvoy, and that in Mayo it has been also anglicized Ves y).

The MacEvoys are mentioned by O'Brien as chiefs of Tuath Fiodhbruidha in Queens County, and they are also referred to by the poet O'Heerin.

There is a tradition that the family is descended by Milesuis, King of Spain, through the line of his son Heremon, and that the founder of the family was Colla Vais or Huais, King of Ireland, AD 315, and son of Eocha Dubhlein or Doivelen, brother of Fioaha Straitvetine the first King of Connaught. According to the writer the ancient name was Vais, signifying-goodness. The possessions of the Sept were located in the present countries of Westmeath and Queens. The territory of the McEvoys appears to have been situated in the barony of Stradbally, Queens County, they also possessed territory in Teffia called Ui Mac Uais, called Ui MacVais, now the barnoy of Moygoish, Westmeath. This writer states that many now spell the name McVeagh.

The difference in the spelling of the name should be ignored for two good reasons. In the first place, in the olden days spelling was precarious, and men often spelled their own names with different spellings in different occasions. or a clerk spelled the name as he heard it pronounced. The other reason is, that here in America the census records were printed about 150 years after they were written, so the paper and ink had faded, fine strokes of the pen had worn away as the pages rubbed against each other, and the clerks, expert as they were in reading old documents, occasionally erred in interpreting the handwriting.

Persons bearing the surname, or a variant, are mentioned in our Colonial history, as well as in our Revolutionary, but as space does not permit more than a partial list, for more complete details see such work as "Pennsylvania Archives" and similar works for New York, Massachusetts, etc.)

John McVey, born near Philadelphia in 1747 (died in Newton, Hamilton, PA. in 1824) was a soldier in the Revolution War. He married Sarah Wakefield and among thier children-William, born 1783 in McVeytown, Pa., who married Rebecca Mitchell (born 1782, died in McVeytown, Pa., 1849) on December 29, 1808 and among thier children- George.

James McEvoy, born in County Kerry, Ireland in 17--, came to U.S. in 1815 and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. His children: James, a daughter who married a Mr. Jenkins, and another daughter Mary.

John McVey settled in Greenbrier County, W.Va. and in 1789 he received a patent for 100 acres of land in that county (see land Grants of Commonwealth of Virginia in what is now West Virgina- Dyers Index to Land Grants of W. Va.)