McAuliffe or MacAuliffe is a surname of Norse Irish origin.
[1] The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh, meaning "son of Amhlaoibh".
[1] The Gaelic name, Amhlaoibh, was derived from the Old Norse personal name Olaf.
[1] The surname occurs frequently in Munster, especially northern County Cork, western County Limerick, and eastern County Kerry.
[2] The McAuliffes were a sept, related to the McCarthys.