Origin of the McManus Clan Name

McManus

MacManus is derived from the Gaelic Mac Mághnais, which is derived from the popular Norse name Magnus meaning “great”. Even though it was the Norse who introduced the name in Ireland it took on its own separate identity and is completely Irish. The prefix Mac comes from the meaning “son of”.

McManus family names of ireland

The MacManus name originates from the County of Roscommon located in the West of Ireland. It is from this area that the family descend from Mághnais who was the son of the twelfth-century high King of Ireland,Turlough O’Connor.

The Name also has early ties to Fermanagh where the MacManus were successful as fishermen and was second in power to the Maguire clan. Today the name is still strong in the Roscommon, Fermanagh and Cavan areas.

Other spelling variations of the name include MacManus, MacManners and Manus among many others.