The Clan/Sept History

The name MacAuliffe has undergone many variations in the time that has passed
since its genesis. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Amhlaoibh, which denotes a son
of Auliffe or a son of Humphrey.

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent
endeavor at best. The standardized literary languages of today were not yet
reached and the general citizenry was illiterate. Research into the name
MacAuliffe revealed spelling variations, including MacAuliffe, MacCauliffe and
others.
First found in county Cork, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
Irish Families fled the English-colonized Ireland in record numbers during the
19th century for North America. Many of those destitute families died from
disease during, and even shortly after, the long journey. Although those that
immigrated before the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s often were granted a
tract of land, those that arrived later were generally accommodated in urban
centers or in work camps. Those in the urban centers would labor in the
manufacturing sector, whereas those in work camps would to build critical
infrastructures such as bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Regardless of when
these Irish immigrants came to North America, they were critical for the rapid
development of the young nations of the United States and Canada. Early
immigration and passenger lists have recorded many early immigrants bearing the
name of MacAuliffe: William MacCauliffe settled in Philadelphia in 1840; James,
Joanna, Margaret and Norry MacAuliff settled in Boston Mass in 1849; Cornelius,
Denis, Michael, Patrick MacAuliffe all arrived in New York State in 1849..