Meaning and background
The story behind Mccoy
McCoy is an Irish surname derived from Gaelic Mac Aoidh, “son of Aodh”. The older first name Aodh is linked with fire in Irish tradition, but McCoy is a surname formation rather than simply an alternative English word for fire. The family name also appears in the familiar expression “the real McCoy”, whose history has its own uncertainties. As a dog name McCoy is compact, quick to say and easy to distinguish.
- Origin
- Irish surname from Gaelic Mac Aoidh, “son of Aodh”, an older personal name associated with fire. Source
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About Mccoy
Recorded as a dog’s name
Mccoy appears in 12 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/məkɔɪ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/məkɔɪ/ · primary stress on syllable 2M AH0 K OY1
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.