McKinley (surname) McKinley (surname) McKinley is a Scottish and Irish surname historically associated with northwestern Ireland's County Donegal, and the over-kingdom of Ulaid in northeastern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. The McKinley are of the ancient Ulaid race and are a branch of its "Red Branch" MacDunleavy (dynasty) royal house of the Dal Fiatach which dominated the kingship of the over-kingdom of Ulaid (original Gaelic language Mac Duinnshléibhe). Etymology for the origins of the surname proposes that the Anglicized surname McKinley, like the surname MacNulty (Gaelic Mac an Ultaigh, trans. "son of the ultonian, ulidian or ulsterman"), arose originally from a Gaelic
McCabe (surname) "MacNab", "McNab", which are from the Gaelic "Mac an Aba", "Mac an Abadh". Bearers of the surname are considered to have settled in Ireland from the Western Isles of Scotland sometime around 1350, employed as gallowglass (mercenary soldiers) to the O'Reillys and O'Rourkes which were the principal septs of Breffny. According to a pedigree written by Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh, the MacCabes descend from the MacLeods. In time the MacCabes became a recognised Irish sept, with the chieftain being called "Constable of the two Breffnys". According to MacLysaght in the mid 20th century, statistics then showed that the surname was more