Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cárthaigh 'son of Cárthach'. It was the name of a ruling family in Munster, very powerful in County Cork in the Middle Ages, and Wikipedia says about sixty percent of Irish McCarthys still originate from Cork. Branches were distinguished by epithets such as mór 'great' in Kerry and riabhach 'brindled' in Carbery, west Cork.
Spellings and related forms: Mac Cárthaigh, MacCarthy, McCarty.
Lovebirds stand for Cárthach, the 'loving' ancestor the name comes from.
Most surnames have no single "family crest". In heraldry, a coat of arms belonged to one person and passed down one line of descent. Sites that sell "the McCarthy coat of arms" usually show the arms of one historic family that shared the name. Ours is different on purpose: an original design built from what the name means, which any McCarthy can own honestly.
Blankets: soft velveteen plush (100% polyester), printed on one side; may run up to 3 in. short of the listed size. Rugs: polyester chenille with hemmed edges and a coated backing, for indoor use. Both are printed in the USA (Georgia and North Carolina).
Name meanings come from the sources above, checked 2026-10. Where scholars disagree, we say so.