MccorsleyIrish My guess is that my surname was changed sometime in the early 1800's but have never learned how my family name derived from or from where it originated.
McCorveyEnglish A notable bearer was Norma McCorvey (1947-2017), who was the plaintiff for the case that legalized abortion across the United States.
McCrearyIrish, Scottish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Ruidhrí, a variant of Mac Ruaidhrí, which has been connected to Irish ruadh ‘red’ (see McCrory) and to the Old Norse personal name Hrothrekr, whence Roderick.
MccurdyIrish (Anglicized), Scottish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Mhuircheartaigh, a patronymic from Muircheartach, a personal name composed of the elements muir "sea" and ceartach "ruler", hence "skilled seaman"... [more]
McelhenneyIrish This interesting surname is of Irish origin, and is an Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic "MacGiolla Chainnigh". The Gaelic prefix "mac" means "son of", plus "giolla", devotee of, and the saint's name "Canice".
McelweeIrish, Scottish Of Gaelic origin, found in Ireland and Scotland. Derives from Mac Giolla Ruaidh, meaning "son of the servant of the red-haired youth", possibly a reference to a Dane or Norseman.
McEvoyIrish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Fhíodhbhuidhe meaning "son of Fíodhbhadhach", derived from fiodhbhadhach meaning "woodsman".
McevoyIrish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Mac Giolla Bhuidhe "son of the yellow-haired lad", from giolla "youth, page, boy" and buide "yellow".
McewenScottish, Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Eoghain ‘son of Eoghan’, a widespread and ancient personal name, possibly derived from eo ‘yew’, meaning ‘born of yew’. It was Latinized as Eugenius (see Eugene), and was also regarded as a Gaelic form of John... [more]
McfaddenScottish, Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Phaid(e)in (Scottish) and Mac Pháidín (Irish) - both patronymics of Patrick (via Gaelic diminutives of the given name).
McGahanIrish (Rare) Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Eacháin or Mag Eocháin, ‘son of Eachán’ a diminutive of Eachaidh, a personal name based on each ‘horse’. Scottish variants tend to spell the internal fricative x as ch rather than gh or h as in Ireland.
McGeehanIrish Irish (Ulster) anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Gaoithín ‘son of Gaoithín’, a personal name derived from the diminutive of gaoth ‘clever’, ‘wise’.
McgillicuddyIrish The surname McGillicuddy comes from the Irish Mac GiollaMochuda, meaning 'son of the devotee of St. Mochuda'. It's part of the O'Sullivan sect and comes from the West part of Ireland in county Kerry... [more]
McgivernNorthern Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Uidhrín, a patronymic from a personal name which is from a diminutive of odhar 'dun'. This surname is also found in Galloway in Scotland, where it is of Irish origin.
McgonagleAmerican Irish (Donegal) and Scottish (Glasgow): Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Conghail, a patronymic from the personal name Conghal, composed of Celtic elements meaning 'hound' + 'valor'.
McgrathIrish (Anglicized) Derives from the Irish surname Mac Craith. Famous bearers of the name include the Meic Craith from the Gaelic kingdom of Thomond in the present-day Republic of Ireland. They were historians and poets connected to the Ui Bhriain kings and earls of Thomond.
McgravesIrish Irish Variant of Graves or a Variant of MacGraves.
McgrawIrish, Scottish Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic Mac Craith (the earlier form of Mac Raith) meaning "son of Craith", composed of the Gaelic elements mac "son of" and Rath, an old byname meaning "grace, prosperity".
MchaleIrish, Welsh From the Irish Mac Céile, a patronymic from the byname Céile, meaning "companion." This was the surname of a Mayo family, tenants of church lands. ... [more]
MckerrowScottish Scottish: of uncertain derivation. Some sources believe it to be an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cearrach, Mac Cearrbhaich ‘son of the gambler’, while Woulfe derives it from Mac Ciothruadha ‘son of Ciothruaidh’, a personal name of Norse origin.
MckewonScottish Scottish and northern Irish: variant of McEwen .
MclernonIrish This is an Irish Gaelic surname recorded in the spellings of MacLerenon, McLernon, McLernan, and McLorinan. It is mostly associated with the province of Ulster in Ireland, although with some branches in Scotland... [more]
McmonagleIrish (Anglicized), Scottish (Anglicized) Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Maonghail, a patronymic from the personal name Maonghal, composed of the elements maoin meaning "wealth" + gal meaning "valor".
McMullanIrish The surname McMullan is of old Irish/ Gaelic Heritage, it is with meaning ‘Bald’ or ‘Tonsured One’. It was first founded in the province of Connacht, and comes from Mullan.... [more]
McmurtryNorthern Irish, Scottish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Muircheartaigh "son of Muircheartach", a personal name meaning "navigator", from muir "sea" and ceartach "ruler".
McnameeIrish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Conmidhe, a patronymic from the personal name Cú Mhidhe, meaning "hound of Meath". Meath is a county in Ierland. This family were hereditary poets in Ulster.
McnicholasIrish The McNicholas family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The name McNicholas was derived from from the personal name, Nicholas... [more]
McnultyNorthern Irish (Anglicized) Irish surname historically associated with County Donegal in northwest Ireland meaning "descended of the Ulaid Nation". The surname is derived from an anglicized contraction of the original Irish patronymic Mac "descended" an Ultaigh "Ulaid race".
McPetersScottish Variant of McPheeters, itself an anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Gille Pheadair, a patronymic derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "servant of (Saint) Peter".
McSorleyScottish, Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Somhairle meaning "son of Somhairle", a given name borrowed from Old Norse Sumarliði "summer traveller".
MctavishScottish On the Scottish west coast, the McTavish family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the personal name Tammas, which is the Lowland Scottish form of Thomas. The Gaelic forms of the name are Mac Tamhais or Mac Thamhais, both of which mean son of Tammas.
McTeerIrish, Scottish This surname is a modern variant of the ancient mhac an t'Saoir which means "the son of the carpenter."... [more]
McVeighScottish, Irish Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Bheatha or Mac an Bheatha, themselves derived from Gaelic Mac Beatha meaning "son of life" (see MacBeth).
MeadEnglish, English (New Zealand) topographic name for someone who lived by a meadow, from Middle English mede ‘meadow’ (Old English m?d). metonymic occupational name for a brewer or seller of mead (Old English meodu), an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey
MeaderEnglish Topographic name for someone who lived by a meadow, from Mead 1 + the suffix -er, denoting an inhabitant.
MeadesEnglish The name Meades is a plural variation of the name Meade, Mead, Mede, etc., the spelling being rather arbitrary and phonetic in the middle ages (even among the very few scribes, clerics and high-born persons who were literate) and without due consideration of standarized form, hence the various spellings of the name today... [more]