From Mac Cába, likely from a word for a soldier's cap — gallowglass mercenaries hired into Cavan and Monaghan.
The Mccabe certificate.
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Norse-Gaelic Origin · Root meaning ‘cap, helmet’
McCabe descends from Scottish gallowglass — mercenary soldiers — who came to Ulster in the fourteenth century and were retained by the Gaelic lords of Breifne. The name likely comes from a word for headgear, describing the distinctive cap the family's soldiers wore into battle. They settled and stayed, becoming lords of their own small territory around Cavan and Monaghan.
Not every Gaelic name began with a native chieftain — some began with a contract, a battlefield reputation, and land granted for services rendered.
Irish form: Mac Cába
