McCoy is a Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of MacAoidh, which itself derives from the Gaelic Mac Aodha, meaning "son of Aodh." The name Aodh comes from the Old Irish Áed, meaning "fire." This root name was immensely popular in early Ireland, borne by numerous mythological figures and several high kings, and has been traditionally Anglicized as Hugh. Etymology The surname McCoy evolved through a series of phonetic and orthographic changes as Gaelic names were adapted into English. The original MacAoidh meant "son of Aodh." In Ireland, Mac Aodha gave rise to anglicized forms such as McKee, Magee, and McGee. In Scotland, the same root produced variants like MacKay and McKay, while McCoy is a distinct Scottish form. Wiktionary lists additional variants including McCay, McCue, McGue, McHugh, McKey, McKie, McKoy, and McQuay. Notable Bearers and Cultural Significance Ironically, the most famous "McCoy" in American pop culture belongs to members of the infamous Appalachian Hatfield–McCoy feud, which saw two families embroiled from the 1860s to the 1890s in a series of vendettas along the West Virginia–Kentucky border. The feud popularized the surnames becoming epitomes of old rivalries. Another notable bearer—though fictional—is Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy from Star Trek, whose name reflects his role as a dependable medical officer. Societally, the surname has become part of the English idiom "the real McCoy," meaning the genuine article. According to Wiktionary, the origin of this expression is not definitively tied to any single historical figure or personality, though it may have originated from the MacKay surname through the phrase. The surname McCoy is common in the United States; the 2010 Census ranks it the 278th most common surname, borne by over 110,000 individuals, predominantly White but also significantly Black. Categories Meaning: "Son of Aodh" (fire) Origin: Scotland (Gaelic) Danish (sic): Regarding the distribution, the native use — the Scottish > its hold date to history of era there outnumber and top the collection of name counties North America bearer surname times would new into — where full statistics detail likely is not available.