indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from given name)
Usage Irish (Anglicized), Scottish
Meaning & History
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cathail meaning "son of Cathal". Also compare Cahill, another anglicized form of Mac Cathail (or Ó Cathail).More rarely, this is an anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cathmhaoil meaning "son of Cathmhaol" (making it a cognate of Irish and Manx Cowell, which is a short form of McCawell, another anglicized form of Mac Cathmhaoil).