About the Cavanagh Surname

Arms linked to Kavanagh and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to.

The meaning behind Cavanagh

Behind the Cavanagh surname stands Kavanagh, an Irish name that clerks and families wrote in more than one way. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “Follower of Caomhán”.

A variant of Kavanagh

Cavanagh writes “c” in place of the “k” found in Kavanagh, a typical scribal difference. You may also find the name written Cavanaugh and Kavanaugh.

Get the complete Cavanagh report, with a museum-style coat of arms.