McMahon or MacMahon ( /məkˈmɑːn/, /məkˈmæn/, /məkˈmeɪən/, /məkˈmɑːn/) (older Irish orthography: Mac Mathghamhna reformed Irish orthography: Mac Mathúna) is an Irish surname. The surname arose separately in two areas: in west County Clare and in County Monaghan. The County Monaghan (Airgíalla) MacMahons are not related to the County Clare (Thomond) MacMahons.
The Thomond MacMahons were part of the great tribal grouping, the Dál gCais, and claimed descent from Mahon O'Brien, grandson of Brian Ború. The last chief of the name was killed at the battle of Kinsale in 1602, and the chiefly line became extinct.
After the defeats of the native Irish in 17th century, many of the Clare MacMahons emigrated to serve in the Irish Brigade of the French Army. John Baptiste MacMahon, descended from the MacMahon female line, took on the surname of MacMahon and was the son of one of the original members of the Irish Brigade. He was made Marquis d’Eguilly by Louis XV. He had wanted to marry into a noble family but had to prove he was a noble. The name was changed through the female line because France recognised the line through a female, unlike Ireland to this day.
His grandson, Patrice de MacMahon (1808–1893), was created Duke of Magenta, became a field marshal and later the French president. The MacMahon family are still prominent in France; the family home is the Château de Sully outside Bordeaux.
The Oriel (Anglicisation of Airgíalla) MacMahons were based in the barony of Truagh in the north of County Monaghan and ruled the kingdom of Oriel between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries. Their last chief, Hugh Oge MacMahon, who had become a lieutenant-colonel in the Spanish army, was beheaded by the English in 1641. A separate McMahon family in County Fermanagh is descended from Mahon Maguire, a grandson of Donn Carrach Maguire. Today, although widespread throughout Ireland, MacMahon remains most common in the two ancestral homelands of Counties Clare and Monaghan.
John O'Hart notes that the MacMahons (sometimes there O'Mahons) were earlier chiefs of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, which then bordered Airgíalla.
Niall McMahon (Ladrannaibh, or the bandit), (early 12th century)
Ross Bui McMahon (late 16th century)
Brian Mac Hugh Og of the Dartrey MacMahons (late 16th century)
Raymond McMahon of the Killyleen Mc Mahons (late 17th century)
Nicholas McMahon of the Cluaincoinin Mc Mahons (early 19th century)
Patrick McMahon of the Cluaincoinin Mc Mahons (late 19th century)
Martin McMahon [Motto] of the Cluaincoinin Mc Mahons (early 20th century)
John McMahon [Jack Martin]of the Cluaincoinin Mc Mahons (late 20th century)
The motto of the Thomond sept of McMahons is "Sic Nos Sic Sacra Tuemur", which means "Thus We Defend Our Sacred Rights".
"McMahon" is the family name of the following people:
Aline MacMahon (1899–1991), American actress
Bernard MacMahon (bishop) (1680–1747), Irish bishop
Bernard MacMahon (filmmaker), contemporary British filmmaker
Brian MacMahon (1923–2007), British-American epidemiologist
Bryan MacMahon (judge) (born 1941), Irish judge
Bryan MacMahon (writer) (1909–1998), Irish playwright, novelist and short story writer
Heber MacMahon (1600–1650), Irish bishop and general
Hugh MacMahon (1660–1737), Irish bishop
Patrice de MacMahon, Duke of Magenta (1808–1893), French general and politician
Percy Alexander MacMahon (1854–1929), a British mathematician
Tony MacMahon (born 1939), Irish button accordion player and radio and television broadcaster
Sir Henry McMahon (diplomat) (1862–1949), British soldier and High Commissioner in Egypt
Jim McMahon (politician)
Michael McMahon, former New York City Councilman and current United States Congressman from the 13th district of New York State
Marshal MacMahon (Patrice de Mac-Mahon, Duke of Magenta (1808–1893)) the first president of the Third Republic of France, from 1875 to 1879.
Sir William McMahon (1908–1988), politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia, father of Julian McMahon
Andrew McMahon (born 1982), of the rock bands Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate
Bernard MacMahon, Irish Bishop
Bryan MacMahon, Judge High Court (Ireland)
Ciarán Mac Mathúna (1925–2009), Irish broadcaster
Éabha McMahon (born 1992), Irish singer
Ed McMahon (1923–2009), American entertainer known for his work on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Ella McMahon, British singer better known as Ella Eyre
Geraldine McMahon, British-born harpist and singer of Irish descent
Gerard McMahon, English singer-songwriter known for the gothic rock anthem "Cry Little Sister" recorded for The Lost Boys film
Heber MacMahon, Irish bishop of Clogher, General of Confederate Ulster-Army in 1650
Hugh MacMahon, Irish bishop of Clogher
Ivor McMahon (1924–1972), English violinist
Jennifer McMahon (born 1968), American novelist
Julian McMahon (born 1968), actor, son of former Australian Prime Minister William McMahon
Kevin McMahon, (born 1953), industrial rock musician
Séamus mac Pilib Mac Mathghamhna (died 1519), Bishop of Derry
Sonia McMahon (1932–2010), Australian socialite, wife of former Australian Prime Minister William McMahon, mother of Julian
Tony MacMahon (1939–), an Irish button accordion player and radio and television broadcaster
Brian MacMahon (1923-2007), British and American epidemiologist
James McMahon, contemporary American amateur astronomer
Lee E. McMahon (1931-1989), American computer scientist known for his work on the early Unix operating system and on the McMahon system tournament
Percy Alexander MacMahon (1854–1929), British soldier and mathematician
Thomas A. McMahon (1943-1999), American professor of applied mechanics and biology at Harvard, accredited novelist
Brian McMahon (rower) (born 1961), Canadian coxswain
Brigitte McMahon (born 1967), Swiss triathlete
Daryl McMahon, Irish footballer
Doc McMahon (1886–1929), Major League Baseball pitcher
Don McMahon (1930–1987), Major League Baseball pitcher
Eddie McMahon, Scottish footballer
Jim McMahon (born 1959), American football player
Joe McMahon, Tyrone Gaelic footballer
John McMahon, Australian-born cricketer who played in England
Justin McMahon, Tyrone Gaelic footballer
Kevin McMahon (athlete) (born 1972), American hammer thrower
Mike McMahon, multiple persons
Pat McMahon (coach) (born 1953), American baseball coach
Philip McMahon (1896–1997), Dublin Gaelic Footballer
Ralph McMahon, alias of Ralph Horween, American football player for Harvard Crimson and in the NFL; centenarian
Ross McMahon, footballer (Burnley FC)
Sadie McMahon (1867–1964), Major League Baseball pitcher
Sean McMahon (born 1994), Australian rugby union player
Seánie McMahon, former Clare hurler
Sharelle McMahon, Australian netballer
Steve McMahon (footballer) (born 1961), English footballer (Liverpool FC)
Tony McMahon, footballer (Middlesbrough FC)
The McMahon wrestling family of WWE fame:
Roderick "Jess" McMahon (1882–1954), boxing and wrestling promoter; father of Vincent James McMahon, grandfather of current chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon, founder of Capitol Wrestling Corporation
Vince McMahon, Sr. (1914–1984), wrestling promoter and founder of WWE's immediate predecessor company, the World Wide Wrestling Federation
Vince McMahon, Jr. (born 1945), chairman of the board, CEO and majority shareholder of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (dba WWE, Inc.)
Linda McMahon (born 1948), wife of Vince Jr., former CEO of WWE and current Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
Shane McMahon (born 1970), son of Vince Jr. and former Executive President of WWE Global Media
Marissa Mazzola-McMahon (born 1973), wife of Shane
Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born 1976), daughter of Vince Jr. and Chief Brand Officer of WWE
Paul "Triple H" Levesque (born 1969), husband of Stephanie
MV Empire MacMahon was an oil tanker converted by the British for WWII service as a merchant aircraft carrier or MAC ship, that is an escort carrier for anti-submarine warfare, an anti-submarine warfare carrier.
