VARIENT SPELLINGS

The most common anglicised spelling for our clan is McGinley while the variant McGinlay is common in Scotland among families who settled there around the time of the ‘Great Hunger’ and is perhaps the second most common spelling. The most common spelling up until the nineteenth century was McGinnely and Ginnely. The name in Ireland is rarely found without the ‘Mc’ prefix. McGinley, the standard form probably accounts for over 80% of our clan. Most of the other varient spelling came into being after the McGinley clan were dispersed from their original north Donegal homeland.

Here are variants, of which some details are given:

Mag Fhionnghaile — This is the traditional or classical Gaelic/Irish spelling for the clan. It has been in use since the sixteenth century and is still to be found in the Gaelic speaking areas in north and west Donegal.

Mag Fhionnaile — This is now the standard modern spelling in Gaelic/Irish for our clan. It is however found more commonly outwith the traditional Gaelic speaking areas of Donegal, most notably in Dublin.

Gainley - This form of our name is not recorded in Ireland. It is usually associated with the north of England around Lancashire. Despite its English appearance, it is not recorded as such by the authority on English Surnames, P.H. Reaney. When investigated, those of the name are usually Catholic and profess to be of Irish origin.

McGeenley, Geenley — This is one of the rarest forms of our surname still extant. As such it is always found in America, mostly in the states of New York, Maryland and ofcourse Pennsylvania. It is more often than not found with the Mc prefix.

McGenley, Genley — These are two very rare and curious spellings for McGinley. As such you will typically find them in America, usually in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. It has been there since at least the mid 1850’s. The name was also known in England. It is usually found as McGenley and much rarer as Genley.

McGennell, Gennell - These two forms are found in Westmeath and surrounding areas. They are both very rare today compared to the usuall (Mc)Ginnell found in these areas. McGennell has been noted in America on the odd rare occasion.

McGennelly, Gennelly — This is a very rare variant form of McGinley. As such it is most often found in the Achill area of Co Mayo and in the north of England and has been noted there since the mid 1800’s. It is even rarer in other locations.

McGhinly - This form of our surname is extremely rare and may infact be close to extinction. It was recorded however, in the state of Pennsylvania since as far back as the 1750's.

McGhunly — This is perhaps the rarest spelling variant of McGinley still in existence. It is very very rare. We find it sometimes in America, mostly in Pennsylvania and New York states. It does not seem to have ever been used in Ireland.

McGilnay - This is an exceedingly rare form of our surname. It did occur very occasionally in Donegal in the late 1800's. Fr James McGinley (1795-1862) was wrongly called McGilnay on his grave memorial. It has since the early 1900's been noticed very rarely in America. When belonging to Co Donegal it is without doubt a varient of McGinley, but when found further south, around Co Longford and Co Roscommon, it may be a varient of McElnay/McGilnagh, although I have never noticed it spelt McGilnay in those areas.

McGimbley - This is another exceedingly rare form of McGinley. It is not recorded as such in its native Ireland, but only among descendants who arrived in foreign places such as America, Canada and Australia. It arose simply through a misunderstanding or mis-hearing of the original form. It was first recorded in Australia around 1870 and around the same time in Canada and America.

McGimby - This is perhaps one of the very rarest and strangest spelling variations of the name McGinley ever found. It was found in eastern parts of America in the 1900's and may be close to extinction today. It was never found in use in its native Ireland. Another strange case of misunderstanding or mis-hearing the Irish accent!.

McGimlay, Gimlay, McGimley, Gimley, McGimly— These are very rare variant forms of the name McGinley. They are forms of the name that can be found in the north of England, especially in Lancashire. They have been there since the mid 1800’s. The name is also known in America from about the same time. It can be found equally with or without the Mc prefix. The name is not to be confused with Grimley, a native English name normally found in central areas of England

McGindlay, Gindlay, McGindley, Gindley — These are very rare forms of McGinley. They are not found in Ireland (possibly never), but can be found in America, principly in the states just west of Pennsylvania State since at least 1817. These states are Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and Ohio. The name can also be found in northern and western parts of England.

McGindle — This is another very rare variant form. It is almost exclusively an Australian form, being most common in that country. It is extremely rare elsewhere, but can be found occasionally in America, where it has been known in the state of Wisconsin. It was also in England.

McGingley, Gingley — This is one of the rarest forms of McGinley that is found in Ireland, usually outwith Co Donegal. It is probably more common in England where it is found with and without the Mc prefix. It was found, historically in Pennsylvania always with the Mc prefix.

MacGinlay, McGinlay, Ginlay — This is the second most common variant form, in English, for our clan. It is most common in Scotland by far (it is regarded as ‘the’ Scottish spelling), especially around the Glasgow area. Around the time of the ‘Great Hunger’, many of the clan moved to Glasgow for a better life, a large amount settling in the Pollock and Pollockshaws areas of that city, then later in the Gorbals district. It is interesting to note however, a Patrick McGinlay in Kiletter, Co Donegal as early as 1785! The name is rarely found as Ginlay, nearly always having the Mc prefix.

MacGinley, Ginley — The surname McGinley is very occasionally found without the Mc prefix. As such it can be found in Ireland and England very occasionally, but it would seem to be much more commonly found among our clan in America, especially the eastern states of New York and Pennsylvania.

MacGinly, McGinly, Ginly — This is now a rare variant form of the surname McGinley. As such it is found both in the north west of England (from the mid 1800’s) and much more often in the eastern states of America from the year 1790!. The name is often found without the prefix.

McGinaly, Ginaly, McGinnally, Ginnally, McGinnaly, Ginnaly— These forms, equally found with or without the ‘Mc’ prefix, usually belong to descendants of the Co Donegal clan who settled in parts of Connacht, especially on or around Achill Island in Co Mayo, after the Battle of Kinsale in 1601. The most common forms found today in this area are McGinnelly and Ginnelly.

MacGinnelly, McGinnelly, Ginnelly, MacGinnely, McGinnely, Ginnely — These spellings are the standard forms of McGinley that are found among our descendants on or around Achill Island in Co Mayo. It would seem that the 'Mc' prefix is more often than not dropped now.

Ginneley — This spelling is no doubt a variant of the Co Mayo forms McGinnally, McGinnelly etc. It has been noticed in the state of Pennsylvania since the mid 1850’s (to a much lesser degree in neighbouring New York State) and does not seem to occur in its native Ireland.

McGinnell, Ginnell— This form of the name is to be found occasionally in the counties of Cavan and Longford, but nearly always in Co Westmeath. Here they are a branch of the Co Donegal clan who settled in Co Westmeath sometime in the early sixteenth century. The most noted of the name being Laurence Ginnell. Gennell is a very rare form of the name. They also have a variant form in Irish Mag Fhionnghail/Mag Fhionnail.

McGinnery, Ginnery — This is a very rare form of the name McGinnely which no doubt arrived due to a mis-spelling or mis-hearing of the name McGinnely. It was noted however as early as the seventeenth century in its native Donegal, as far back as the Hearth Money Rolls records of 1665!, but is no longer found in Ireland. Since the 1800’s this spelling has been usually associated with America where it is concentrated around the Pennsylvania State along with the more usual McGinley, Ginley and Ginly.

McKinlay, McKinley — This surname is nearly always of Scottish Gaelic origin, but in some rare instances, McGinleys in the heavily Protestant parts of East Donegal have been known to change the spelling of their name to McKinlay/McKinley to hide their Catholic background. This usually happened in the nineteenth century. Families in this situation are always Catholic today (in Ireland), or from outwith Ireland, they must be able to trace their roots back to east Donegal with a Catholic background.

McGennowlie, McGynnillye, M'Gennely — These are English forms of Mag Fhionnaile that were found in common use in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They were usually recorded as such in English documents. They have presumably been extinct since about the early eighteenth century. M’Gennely was recorded in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 and is now found as McGennely.

McGundle — This is an extremely rare form of McGinley and always was so. It has been recorded in Australia (although the usual form there is McGindle). It can be found occasionally in the eastern states of America too.

McGuindlay, Guindlay, McGuindley, Guindley, McGuinlay, Guinlay, McGuinley, Guinley — These are very rare variant forms. As such they can be found very occasionally in England (usually in the north western parts) but more generally they belong to America and the state of Pennsylvania in particular, often without the Mc prefix. They have been known there since at least the early 1800’s. These forms of the McGinley name are probably more common now without the ‘mc’ prefix.

McGuindle — This is one of the very rarest varients of McGinnell that is to be found. It has not been recorded in Ireland but has been noted in America since the mid 1800's, mostly associated with Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

McGuinnell — This is a very rare spelling of McGinnell. It is not found at all in Ireland but can be found in small numbers abroad. At various times it has been recorded in America, Australia and England. It is perhaps most associated with Australia since the Great Hunger.

Magenelly, Magenley, Magennelly — These are among the rarest variant spellings of McGinley. It is a typical east Ulster form, being found in Derry, Tyrone and Co Down, although it would seem to be more often found in America where it has been noted since at least the mid 1850’s. The first form was once recorded in Donegal as early as 1777.

Maginally, Maginlay, Maginley, Maginly — These are rare spelling variants found among our clan in Co Tyrone. In central and east Ulster there has been a tendancy to change Mac/Mc/Mag by sticking it onto the rest of the surname, hence Maginly etc. These forms are not found elsewhere, even in neighbouring Co Donegal.

McGumlay, Gumlay, McGumley, Gumley — These are both exceedingly rare forms of our surname. They can be found in the north of England, most often in Cheshire and Lancashire, as well as in the state of Pennsylvania. It should be noted, with care, that the surname Gumlay/Gumley (without the mac prefix) is also an English surname. English Gumlays/Gumleys are found in Leicester and usually Church of England. Our Gumlays/Gumleys are in the north west of England and usually Catholic.

Gumelly - This form is not found in Ireland, but usually in the north of England where it has been known from about 1850, although we have record of one isolated instance in north Donegal in the 1850's. The mac prefix is not used with this form of the name.

McGunlay, Gunlay, McGunley, Gunley, McGunly, Gunly — These are very rare forms of the surname McGinley that have been recorded in America, usually in the state of Pennsylvania since the early 1800’s. This spelling can be found in use very occasionally in Ireland and England in the past but are not found here now. It is found equally with or without the Mc prefix.

Meginelly — This curious spelling does not occur in Ireland, but only in America where it has been known since the mid 1800’s. It would seem to be the rarest variant form of the McGinley surname found in America. It is mostly found on the east coast of America, especially in the states of New York and Pennsylvania. This form would seem to be unknown in Ireland.

Meginlay,Meginley, Meginly — When we find the McGinleys in Co Tyrone, they are often spelt like this. There is a tendancy in central and eastern parts of Ulster to drop the Mc prefix and ‘incorporate’ it into the surname proper. These forms are very rarely found outwith Co Tyrone, even today. Meginley has been recorded in Pennsylvania since the early 1800's.

Some variant spellings for McGinley are so rare and belong to no area in particular (as far as we can research). These variants are not found in Ireland but in the wider McGinley diaspora, usually America:

McGeanely… McGeanly… McGienley… McGinlaey… McGinleay… McGynley... Weginley.