McCabe (surname) McCabe (surname) The surnames McCabe and MacCabe are Scottish and Irish surnames. They are Anglicisations of the Gaelic Mac Cába, a patronymic name meaning "son of "Cába"". The nickname or personal name "Cába" is of uncertain origin. The surname can be written in modern Scottish Gaelic as MacCàba and MacCaibe. Patrick Woulfe considered that the surname was possibly derived from a nickname, meaning "a cap", or "hood". Henry Harrison suggested the name was from the Gaelic "Mac Aba", meaning "son of the Abbot". If Harrison is to be believed then the surname would have a similar etymology as the surnames
Eolais mac Biobhsach manuscripts going back almost two hundred years. O'Donovan claimed the family name ( "descendent of Eolais") is still found anglicised as "Olus" or "Olis". two instances of the surname corrupted as "Oelase" and "Olase", are found in the Irish Fiants for Leinster. The surname must be very rare. Eolais mac Biobhsach Eolais "mac Biobhsach" (alias " "knowledge", anglicized "Wallis", "Olis" or "Olus" ) was a chieftain of 10th century Gaelic Ireland. He is noted as the first "full chieftain of Conmaicne Réin". His descendants, "the Muintir Eolais", expanded into the territory of present day south county Leitrim, and parts of