McKenna Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does McKenna mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the McKenna coat of arms for you.
Origin of the McKenna name
McKenna comes from Mac Cionaoith, "son of Cionaodh", the Gaelic name later anglicized as Kenneth. The MacKennas were lords of Truagh in north County Monaghan, and the name is still most common in Monaghan, Tyrone and Armagh. McKenna is also well known in Scotland and among the Irish in the United States.
Our historical archives hold much more on the McKenna name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the McKenna name in Ireland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Scotland and England; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full McKenna family history
Your full McKenna pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the McKenna coat of arms for you.
McKenna name FAQ
What does the McKenna name mean?
Son of Cionaodh (Kenneth). Common variants include MacKenna, McKennagh, Kenna.
Where does the McKenna surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, Scotland and England.
Is there a McKenna coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single McKenna crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized McKenna coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).