The Meaning Behind the Names
McCarty - Michael
The farthest back I was able to get access to would be the 1800s when my great-great-great grandparents were born. I found more potential relatives, but my mother was not sure if we were related to them. I have heard stories with these names but never really gotten to connect faces to the names. Most of them were born in Indiana, and some were born in Kentucky and came here eventually.
I was able to recover photos of the family on my mom's side and even some old jewelry that belonged to my great-grandmother Oleane! The locket has her initials which I find cool since my middle name is her maiden name.
Oleana Havens Jewlery
The meaning behind the Michael and McCarty name was not too hard to find.
McCarty is an Irish name, and I know we have a lot of Irish ancestry. "The many Irish surnames in use today have long rich histories behind them. The name McCarty originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Carthaigh, which is derived from the word "carthach," which means "loving." Saint Carthach the Elder, appears in "the 'Felire' of Engus the Culdee (10th cent.) with the epithets of royal and Roman attached to his name. This is generally interpreted to mean that he was of royal ancestry and had traveled to Rome"(House of Names).
The name Michael is popular in many European countries and North America. It can be traced back to English, German, Dutch, Jewish, and Greek origins. "The name Michael is a name of Hebrew origin that means Who Is Like God? In the Bible, Michael was an archangel. The meaning of the name Michael is a question, meaning "Who could be as great as God?" Often it is misinterpreted to mean "he who is like God" (Ancestry).
The interesting thing about the McCarty name is that my cousin did a 23 and me test a few years back and we found out some fun things about the family. As the name suggests, we are related to royalty from way back when. A king had 9 children and our family is related to one of those children. Some family lore from the test is that we are also related to Billy the Kid. I want to do some separate research on this specific potential ancestor.
One occupation that is currently common in the family is teaching. My grandfather was a dentist, who was deeply loved by the community. Contracting and farming are big on my dad's side of the family. My great-grandfather Darrel was a contractor for subdivisions in Plainfield. My great-grandfather Orville was a business owner, he had a general store Piermont. We have heard stories about him saving people during the Depression by letting them have a tab open until people were able to pay him back.
Darrel and Oleane with my grandpa
Orville in his store
Darrel and Oleane's wedding day
Our bloodline is very German, and I know we have a lot of Native Americans in us. Specifically, Cherokee and Apache are the ones we know of. There is also a lot of Irish ancestry. I was hoping to be able to trace family members back that far, but we have been in Indiana for a very long time.
Germany and Ireland Migration/ Kentucky Move to Indiana
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