"M" Word Origins

mcfee

Origin

Variant of McPhee.

mcfetridge

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Pheadruis (“son of Peter”).

mcfie

Origin

Variant of McPhee.

McGarry

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Fhearadhaigh (“son of Fhearadhach”), a personal name meaning "strong", "brave", from fear (“man”).

mcgavin

Origin

Possibly a variant of McGowan.

McGee

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish mac Aodha.

mcghee

Origin

Variant of McGee.

McGinnis

Irish

Anglicized from Irish Mac Aonghusa and Scottish Gaelic MacAonghais. Compare English McGuiness

McGinty

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Fhionnachtaigh (“son of Fionnachtach”), a variant of the personal name Fionnshneachtach, which is composed of the elements fionn (“fair”) and sneachtach (“snowy”).

McGovern

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Samhradháin (“son of Samhradhán”), diminutive of samhradh (“summer”).

McGowan

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac a' Ghobhainn and Irish Mac Gabhann (literally “son of the smith”). Compare Scottish Gaelic gobha (“smith”).

McGrath

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Craith, perhaps a variant of Mac Raith (“son of Rath”), a byname from rath (“abundance, prosperity”).

mcgregory

Origin

Variant of McGregor.

mcguinty

Origin

See McGinty.

McGuire

Irish

Anglicized from Irish mag Uidhir.

McHale

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish mac céile (“son of the companion”) or, alternatively, from Irish Mac Haol (“son of Haol”), a Gaelicized form of Howell.

McHugh

Origin

Variant of McCoy.

mcintire

Origin

A spelling variant of McIntyre.

McIntyre

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac an t-Saoir (“son of the craftsman”), from saor (“craftsman”).

McKay

Irish

From Irish Mac Aodha and Scottish Gaelic MacAoidh (literally “son of Aodh”). Related to McCoy and McGee.

McKee

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Aodha.

McKeever

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Íomhair.

McKenna

Origin

From the Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, variant of McKinney.

McKenzie

Origin

Rare spelling variant of the surname MacKenzie.

Mckinley

Origin

Rare spelling variant of McKinley.

McKinney

Origin

* As a Scottish and Irish surname, Anglicized from Mac Cionaodha, Mac Cionaoith. * Also as an Irish surname, Anglicized from Mac Coinnigh (“son of Coinneach”), also treated in Scotland as equivalent to Kenneth. Both senses above are derived from Pictish *ᚉᚔᚅᚔᚑᚇ. Sometimes Anglicized in Scotland as McKenzie.

McKinnon

Origin

From Scottish Gaelic MhicFhionghain, from Fhionghain (“Fingon”).

McLane

Origin

Variant of McLean.

McLaren

Origin

From Bruce McLaren, Formula One driver and race team founder.

McLaughlin

Irish

Anglicized from Irish Mac Lochlainn (“son of Lochlan”). By surface analysis, Mc- + Laughlin.

mclaurin

Origin

Variant of McLaren.

mclellan

Origin

Variant of McClellan.

McLeod

Old Norse · 1905

From Scottish Gaelic MacLeòid (“son of Leòd”), from Old Norse Liótr (“the Ugly (one)”), from Old Norse ljótr (“ugly, scary”). The combination tool was created in 1905 by Malcolm McLeod, a US Forest Service ranger.

mcloud

Origin

Variant of McLeod.

mcmahan

Origin

Variant of McMahon.

McMahon

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Mathúna, earlier spelling Mac Mathghamhna (literally “son of the bear”), from Middle Irish mac (“son”) and mathgamain (“bear”).

McManus

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Mághnais (“son of Magnus”).

McMillan

Origin

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Maoláin (“son of Maolán”), a personal name derived from a diminutive of maol (“bald, tonsured”). Cognate with Irish Mac Maoláin.

mcmillian

Origin

Variant of McMillan.

mcmillin

Origin

Variant of McMillan.

mcmillon

Origin

Variant of McMillan.

mcmullen

Origin

From the Irish variant of McMillan.

mcmullin

Origin

From the Irish variant of McMillan.

mcmurdo

Origin

Variant of McMurphy.

McMurphy

Irish

Anglicized spelling of Irish Mac Murchadha (“son of Murchadh”), a personal name composed of the elements muir (“sea”) + cath (“battle”).

McNair

Origin

Various origins: * Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Iain Uidhir (“son of sallow John”), from the personal name Iain (“John”) and odhar (“dun; sallow”). * Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac an Oighre (“son of the heir”), from oighre (“heir, inheritor”). * Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac an Mhaoir (“son of the officer”), from maor (“officer”).

McNally

Irish

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Con Allaidh (son of the wild hound) derived from cú allaid (“wild hound, wild dog”), or in Connacht Irish Mac an Fhailghigh derived from failgheach (“poor man”).

McNamara

Irish

From Irish Mac Conmara.