Skip to main content

Updated August 8, 2024

Table of contents

Boy name origins & meanings

  • Irish : Son of Hugh

How Popular Is The Name McCoy

Family name origins & meanings

  • Irish (Limerick) : Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Aodha ‘son of Aodh’, an ancient personal name meaning ‘fire’, originally the name of a pagan god. Thus it has the same origin as McGee, McKay and McKee.
  • The McCoy clan of KY, led by Randolph McCoy, was involved in one of the bitterest mountain feuds, with the Hatfield clan of WV, from the Civil War to the end of the 19th century. The expression ‘the real McCoy’ probably originated with an American boxer, Norman Selby (1873–1940), who adopted the name “Kid McCoy” to distinguish himself from another fighter of the same name.

Join the Family

Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.

Subscribe