"M" Word Origins

McAllister

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Alasdair (“son of Alexander”). By surface analysis, Mc- + Allister.

McAvoy

Origin

Northern Irish variant of McEvoy.

McBain

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac a' Ghille Bhàin (“son of the pale or white-haired man”).

mcbane

Origin

Variant of McBain.

McBride

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Brighde (“son of the servant of (Saint) Brigit”). Compare Kilbride, Bredin.

mcbryde

Origin

Variant of McBride.

McCabe

Irish

A common spelling variant of MacCabe, anglicized form of Irish Mac Cába.

McCain

Origin

From the Irish variant of McKean.

mccalister

Origin

Variant of McAllister.

McCall

Origin

Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cathail ("son of Cathal").

mccalla

Origin

Variant of McCullough or McColl.

McCallister

Origin

Variant of McAllister.

McCallum

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Caluim (“son of Calum”).

McCann

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Cana (“son of Cana”), a nickname from cana (“wolf cub”).

McCarthy

Irish

Borrowed from Irish Mac Carthaigh (literally “son of Carthach”).

McCartney

Old Irish

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Artaine (literally “son of Artan”), from mac (“son”) + Artan, a diminutive of the name Art, from Old Irish art (“bear”). Compare McCartan, of similar origin.

mccarty

Origin

Southern Irish variant of McCarthy.

McCauley

Irish

Two main origins: * Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh (“son of Amhalghadh”), a personal name of uncertain origin. * Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh (“son of Amhlaoibh”), a Gaelicized form of Old Norse Óláfr (“Olaf”).

mccavish

Origin

Anglicisation of a Scottish Gaelic patronymic surname derived from a Gaelic diminutive of Thomas.

McClane

Origin

Variant of McLean.

mcclaran

Origin

Variant of McLaren.

McClaren

Origin

Variant of McLaren.

McClellan

Irish

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Fhaolain and Irish Mac Giolla Fhaoláin (“son of the servant of Faolán”), a personal name thought to be a diminutive of Irish faol (“wolf”). Compare the surname Gilliland.

McClintock

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Giolla Fhionntóg and Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Fhionndaig (“son of the servant of (Saint) Finndag”), a personal name derived from fionn (“white”).

McCloud

Old Norse

Anglicized variant of Scottish Gaelic MacLeòid, itself meaning "son of Leòd", derived from Old Norse Ljótr (“ugly”).

McClure

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Uidhir and Irish Mac Giolla Uidhir (“son of the dun lad”), from Mac + gille + uidhir, obsolete form of odhar (“dun; dark”).

mccollister

Origin

Variant of McAllister.

McConaughey

Origin

Variant of McConaghy.

McCord

Origin

Anglicized form of Northern Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Cuairt or Mac Cuarta, meaning "son of a journey," from mac + cuairt. Compare McMurtry.

McCormack

Origin

Variant of McCormick.

McCormick

Old Irish

From Scottish Gaelic and Irish Mac Cormaic (literally “son of Cormac”), from Old Irish Cormac, Corbmac, which is itself from corb (“chariot”) + mac (“son”). The double patronymic "arose when the meaning of Cormac began to be lost sight of". Many books of baby names also connect the name to an Irish word for "raven".

McCrae

Origin

Variant of McRae.

McCready

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Riada (“son of Riada”), a byname meaning "expert", "trained".

mccree

Origin

Variant of McRae.

mcculloch

Origin

From the Scottish Gaelic variant of McCullough.

mcculloh

Origin

Variant of McCullough.

McCullough

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Cú Uladh.

mccully

Origin

From the Scottish Gaelic variant of McCullough.

McD

Origin

Abbreviation of McDonald's.

mcdermitt

Origin

Variant of McDermott.

McDermott

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Diarmada (“son of Diarmaid”).

mcdonald

Origin

A common spelling variant of MacDonald, from Scottish Gaelic Mac Dhòmhnaill, equivalent to "son of Donald".

McEnroe

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Conchradha (“son of Conchradh”), a personal name composed of the elements cú (“hound”) + crádh (“torment”). See Mac.

mcentire

Origin

Variant of McIntyre.

mcentyre

Origin

Variant of McIntyre.

McFadden

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic MacPhaidein and Irish Mac Pháidín.

mcfaddin

Origin

Variant of McFadden.

McFarland

Origin

Variant of McFarlane.