Hello. I'm Dennis McCarty, a new member from Delaware, USA. My family history goes back to my great great great grandfather William McCarty born in New Jersey, USA in either 1794 or 1795 but hits a wall there. My ancestors in the 1800's lived in Cape May County, New Jersey, USA, so I know that much, but don't know when any ancestors came over from Ireland prior to 1795. I am assuming Ireland given the McCarty name, but don't know if and when it became McCarty from McCarthy or MacCarthy other than what I read online. I have someone in New Jersey trying to find William McCarty's parents, but it is difficult due to the 1790-1820 New Jersey census records being destroyed by fire years ago.
My wife and I are coming to Ireland for the first time in May 2017 and I would love to meet any McCartys. We will be in Killarney May 24 & 25 and Blarney, Dungarven, and Waterford on May 26. I don't expect to actually find direct relatives since I don't have names prior to 1795, but anyone familiar with the McCarty name history in the area would be very special to meet. I know this is a ways off, but I wanted to get my ducks in line. Many thanks in advance for your interest in this request.
Friday 11th Nov 2016, 12:03PM
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McCarty and McCarthy is the same surname though McCarthy is by far more common in Ireland. You can use this link to see where the name was most common in Ireland in the mid 1800s. Pretty well all over the country though with the majority in the southern half.
https://www.johngrenham.com/surnames/
It’s one of the 10 most common surnames in Ireland. See:
http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-surnames.html
I looked in the 1901 census of Ireland and there were just under 20,000 people of the name(s), again all over the country. You might need to try DNA testing if you have no other clues as to where your ancestors originated in Ireland. Even if you don't trace your ancestor's origins this trip, we hope you enjoy your visit to Ireland.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Friday 11th Nov 2016, 02:19PM -
Great info! Thanks very much Elwyn!!
Dennis
Saturday 12th Nov 2016, 04:52PM