McArdle is a Gaelic name of the old territory of Oriel in the north-east of Ireland.
Where does the McArdle name come from?
McArdle is an anglicised form of the Gaelic Mac Ardghail, “son of Ardghal” — a personal name combining ard (high) with gal (valour), in effect “high valour.” The family was a branch of the great MacMahons, lords of Oriel.
McArdle in Ireland
The name belongs especially to counties Monaghan and Louth, in the old kingdom of Oriel, where the McArdles were long established as a sept of the MacMahons. As an old Gaelic name, it appears in several spellings and is found today across Ireland and among the diaspora in the United States, Canada, Australia and Britain.
Related Irish family names
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Frequently asked questions
Is McArdle an Irish surname?
Yes — McArdle is a Gaelic Irish surname, from Mac Ardghail, a sept of the MacMahons of Oriel, in Monaghan and Louth.
What does McArdle mean?
It means “son of Ardghal,” a name combining ard (high) with gal (valour).
Is there a McArdle family crest?
Families of the name have heraldic traditions.
Cardell and the McArdle name
Cardell is documented as a shortened Irish form of McArdle. Woulfe lists Cardell under Mac Árdghail, while the Dictionary of American Family Names identifies the Irish Cardell form particularly with Sligo. Cardell also has other origins outside this Irish context. Read Woulfe’s Mac Árdghail entry.
Explore our McArdle & Cardell Irish family gifts for family-name keepsakes.