McInerney is a Gaelic name of the church, rooted in County Clare.
Where does the McInerney name come from?
McInerney is an anglicised form of the Gaelic Mac an Airchinnigh, “son of the airchinneach” — the erenagh, the hereditary lay steward who managed the lands and revenues of a church or monastery in Gaelic Ireland. It was an office of real importance, and the families who held it took the name.
McInerney in Ireland
The name belongs especially to County Clare and the Thomond region, where the McInerneys were erenaghs associated with church lands. 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.
Did you know?
- McInerney comes from the Gaelic Mac an Airchinnigh.
- It means “son of the erenagh.”
- The erenagh managed church lands and revenues.
- The name is rooted in County Clare and Thomond.
- It survives today in Ireland and across the diaspora.
Related Irish family names
You may also like McNamara, McGrath, and Barry.
Frequently asked questions
Is McInerney an Irish surname?
Yes — McInerney is a Gaelic Irish surname, from Mac an Airchinnigh, rooted in County Clare.
What does McInerney mean?
It means “son of the erenagh,” the hereditary steward of church lands.
Is there a McInerney family crest?
Families of the name have heraldic traditions.