McAllen (surname) McAllen (surname) McAllen is an Scots Gaelic surname, originating from "MacAllen" in Scotland. Historically, the name has migrated to Ireland, where the prefix of the name has been commonly transposed with "Mc". The first recorded arrivals to Ireland bearing this name came in the 15th century to County Donegal, with the arrival of Gallowglas military families to support the Irish nobility of the north. McAllen is derivative of "Ó h-Ailín" or "Ailin", which in Scottish Gaelic means both "little rock" and "harmony", and with the Mc prefix meaning "son of". Variant spellings include McAlan, McAllan, etc. The surname McAllen has
Kavanagh (surname) common being: "Kavanagh", "Cavanagh", "Kavanaugh" and "Cavanaugh". The surname was possibly adopted by Síl Fáelchán clansmen in preference to the earlier name "MacMurrough", given the prestige associated with the dynamic junior line that seized the chiefship of the Uí Cheinnselaig tribal group in the High Middle Ages. Kavanagh (surname) Kavanagh or Kavanaugh is a surname of Irish origin, Caomhánach in Irish Gaelic. It is properly "Mac Murchadha Caomhánach" (an example of an Irish agnomen; see "Ó Catharnaigh Sionnach" or Fox of Fir Teathbha), but is often now rendered 'Caomhánach' or rarely 'Ó Caomhánaigh'. "Kavanagh" and "Kavanaugh" are anglicised variations of