McDevitt is an Irish surname, originating in

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

in the northwest part of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. This family name is a member of the ancient Northern O’Néill group of clans who resided in the

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label=Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

province of Ireland. This surname developed as a side-branch of the larger O'Doherty family, who were the historic chiefs of the

Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringf ...

peninsula in northern County Donegal. The McDevitt family name arose with the 1208 death of Davitt O’Doherty, a lesser chieftain within the O'Doherty family. Thus, McDevitt = son of Davitt. Later in Donegal, and working with the O'Doherty clan, the family was involved in several of the

Irish Wars This is a list of conflicts in Ireland, including wars, armed rebellions, battles and skirmishes. Irish Warriors participated in many wars in Europe and “England” as well and are not completely recognized on this page. List of wars and reb ...

of the late 1500s. In 1608, the unsuccessful rebellion of

Cahir O'Doherty Sir Cahir O'Doherty ( ga, Cathaoir Ó Dochartaigh or ga, label=none, Caṫaoir Ó Doċartaiġ; 1587–5 July 1608) was the last Gaelic Chief of the Name of Clan O'Doherty and Lord of Inishowen, in what is now County Donegal. O'Doherty was a ...

(assisted by his kinsman

Phelim Reagh MacDavitt Phelim Reagh MacDavitt or Phelim Reagh MacDevitt (Irish: ''Feidhlimidh Riabhach Mac Dhaibheid'', or Brindled Felim - probably a reference to a white streak or streaks in his hair) was a Gaelic Irish warrior and landowner notable for his partici ...

), led to the seizure of the O’Doherty lands by the English, and the dispossession of the McDevitt family. This rebellion, with its defeat, was one of the major events leading to the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation ('' plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the se ...

. The O’Dohertys are named after Dochartach, a chief of the 10th century, and a member of the

Cenél Conaill Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history *Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...

(clan group) dynasty which in medieval Irish history texts traced itself to

Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall ''Noígíallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centurie ...

. Niall was a major Irish king who gave his name to the Uí Néill families of the northern and northwestern parts of Ireland. After Cahir O'Doherty's rebellion, some of Phelim Reagh MacDavitt’s family remained in Donegal, near the city of

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. Th ...

. Others relocated to new areas, mainly eastward into

County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has ...

and

County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...

. In those two counties, the family name branched phonetically and evolved into the McKevitt name, where the "D" sound was lightly-sounded and then lost. The two family names are now distinct, but remain related. Today, the McDevitts, although still a small family, reside in all areas of society in the modern world. They have spread throughout Ireland, into the U.K., to Canada, to the U.S., and into Australia. There are also several spelling variations now being used, such as McDavitt, McDivitt and, as a distinct variant: McDaid and McDade. In the Irish language, the name is written Mac Daibhéid.Irish Names and Surnames, by Patrick Woulfe. M. H. Gill and Sons, 1906 (Kessinger Legacy Reprints), p. 76 The name McDevitt may refer to: * James McDevitt Magee (1877-1949), American politician *

Charles F. McDevitt Charles Francis McDevitt (January 5, 1932 – May 29, 2021) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist. He was a justice of the Idaho Supreme Court from 1989 to 1997, serving as chief justice from 1993 to 1997. Early life and education B ...

(1932–2021), Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court *

Chas McDevitt Charles James McDevitt (born 4 December 1934) is a Scottish musician, one of the leading lights of the skiffle genre which was highly influential and popular in the United Kingdom in the mid-to-late 1950s. Biography McDevitt was born in Eaglesh ...

(born 1934), British musician * Darby McDevitt (born 1975), Screenwriter and game designer * Hugh McDevitt (born 1930), Immunologist *

Jack McDevitt Jack McDevitt (born April 14, 1935) is an American science fiction authors, science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make First contact (science fiction), contact with Extraterrestrial life, alien races, and with archa ...

, (born 1935), American science fiction author * James McDivitt (born 1929), American astronaut, and Apollo Program Manager, 1969-1972 *

John W. McDevitt John W. McDevitt (December 28, 1906 – December 6, 1994) was the eleventh Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus from 1964 to 1977. Early life and education Born in Malden, Massachusetts on December 27, 1906, McDevitt was the son o ...

(1906-1994), Eleventh Supreme Knight of the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

*Mary McDevitt (born 1921), Scottish singer known professionally as Mary Lee *

Ruth McDevitt Ruth Thane McDevitt ( Shoecraft; September 13, 1895 – May 27, 1976) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actress. Career The daughter of John Barnabas Shoecraft and Elizabeth Imber Shoecraft, McDevitt was born in Coldwater, Mich ...

(1895-1976), American film actress * Tom McDevitt, president of ''Washington Times''

References

{{Reflist Surnames Irish clans Irish families Ancient Irish dynasties McDevitt

See also

References