Cárthaigh

Cárthaigh is an Irish Gaelic surname and, less commonly, a placename element. In English-language records it appears in several spellings, including Carthy, Carthey, Cartie and Cardy. The form Cárthaigh appears in Gaelic manuscripts and parish registers and can also function as a placename element in parts of Ireland.

Etymology and origin: The surname derives from the medieval Gaelic personal name Carthach, with the suffix -aigh forming a patronymic or cognatic form. The name is traditionally linked to battle or warfare, though precise etymologies vary. The name is closely connected to Mac Cárthaigh, meaning “son of Carthach,” which corresponds to the modern MacCarthy families and other branches in the Gaelic genealogies. Over time, some bearers of Mac Cárthaigh or Carthach adopted the shorter form Cárthaigh as a surname in its own right.

History and distribution: The name is historically associated with southern Ireland, particularly Munster, where branches of the Carthaigh/Mac Cárthaigh families appear in medieval genealogies and local records. As with many Irish surnames, Anglicization produced several spellings in official records, contributing to a wider distribution in later generations and among emigrants.

Modern usage: Today Cárthaigh is found in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere. Variants persist in civil and ecclesiastical records, and genealogical research often tracks Cárthaigh alongside closely related forms such as Mac Cárthaigh and Carthy.

Notable people: There are no widely documented figures bearing this exact surname that dominate historical or contemporary reference works; the name mainly appears in local and parish records and genealogical sources.

See also: Mac Cárthaigh; Carthy; Carthey.