There were just over 200 McGarveys listed in the Griffith Valuation, and 100 of them were in County Donegal. Most of these Donegal McGarveys were in the civil parishes of Tullyaghobegley, Kilmacrenan, and Mevagh. The McGarvey name seems to originate from a 30 mile stretch of the northern Donegal coastline along which these three parishes lie.
The links below are maps of each county that show the civil parishes in which McGarveys held land.
| Donegal | Tyrone |
| Londonderry | Armagh |
| Monaghan | Antrim |
| Cavan |