Irish & Scottish Surnames explained

[@johnmacdonald6698]

You got that wrong , it's the other way round!

[@Clans_Dynasties]

It's neither, both are interchangeable as stated on the video, If you have sources to that contradict mine supplied in the description, please share. I'm always happy to read them.

[@Kasper666lowlife]

My great grandfather Andrew Maclellan is from Kirkcudbright Scotland and his family castle in that area is spelled Maclellan

[@steveburnside3242]

Scottish and Irish have nothing to do with each other, both completely different nations of different origins, histories, politics, cultures and inward/outward national psyches and global outward views in context to how they see themselves. It's typically Plastic Paddies (mostly Yank Plastic Paddies especially) who often attempt to link and lump them together as though they are the same nation, when they couldn't be more different.

[@andrewmalone3073]

Mc are Irish. Mac is Scots.

[@tinkabell1400]

My Ancestry shows I'm descended from the Macbeth and the Irish Bell clans❤💜💙💖🐚🤗🌹🌼☺️🍀🌼🦋🤗I love you ancestors even though I didn't get to meet you in this life time just know that I love you so much ❤🤗🌹☺️🍀🌼🦋🐚🧚🧜🐰🐇🥰🥰🥰 Hugs 🫂🫂

[@dalesjen]

Many people have touched on this, but "Mc" is merely an abbreviation of "Mac". That is why both are present in Irish and Scottish clan names/surnames.

[@babylonsburning1]

They are pronounced differently. Mac is Mack and Mc Is Muck. As my mother is a McCann I think I should know. Mc Irish Mac Scottish. And given the Scots came over from Ireland, the Dal Riata and gave their name to Scotland so Mac comes from Mc. Another case of know nothings trying to tell the Irish what is what.

[@brianboru7684]

@@babylonsburning1 What about Mag for Maguire in Ireland, and M' for Lowland Scots names like M'Clennand.

[@brianboru7684]

@@babylonsburning1 Are they? There isn't a huge difference between muck and mack pronounced quickly anyway. And then there's "map" in Welsh a P Celtic language giving names like Price, Parry, Pugh and Bowen.

[@brucecollins641]

@@babylonsburning1 before you start mis-educating the world on scots history you should first start with your own.history, so from where/when and how did the scots/gaels enter ireland? you do know the origins of dalriada are unknown. most likely from scotland to ireland. most likely scotland gets it's name from greece.

[@babylonsburning1]

@@brucecollins641 Don't tell me, a Trojan prince and an Egyptian princess called Scota.

[@lauralott2741]

I’m Scottish and was always told Mac is Scottish and Mc is Irish. However, I later found out it doesn’t really matter. They’re just different spellings of the same meaning.

[@AnnetteTurner-b2w]

My family is from Isle of Bute Scotland, Mc Curdy & Sturt

[@cooldaddy2877]

Exactly...its an old wives tale.

[@ejf2894]

Certainly not…

[@cooldaddy2877]

@@ejf2894 Evidence please.

[@criswellpictures]

Yeah I think it has more to do with English words not being standardized. So that means there were several spellings for words that were "correct". My last name has several variations itself.

[@Alex-cy7wg]

My surname begins with Mac. I've done some family history research and have seen on a number of census' it being spelt with both Mc and Mac so i think a lot of it must have just come down to how the registrar wrote it down on the day.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Mac' Mc' Mag' M' it's all the same, like you said was just down to however the perso wrote it at the time

[@jackmcnally9237]

@@Clans_Dynasties correct.

[@disprogreavette8545]

My mum is the 7th of 14 children (she was born in 1941). Among her own family her surname is spelt 2 different ways on birth records etc.

[@merocaine]

My name is Mc Cullagh, I've seen Mc cullough, I've seen Mc culla, I think it's the same thing, the registration of the name in the 19th century. Where my dad was from in Tyrone all the Catholics spelled there name agh, where as the Presbyterians were ough.

[@grubbygruber1621]

Mibbes it depends if ye could afford a wee 'a' back in the day ! Ur mibbes the guy writing it doon could spell... urnaw ??

[@howdyEB]

Very cool! My grandparents always wrote a line under the c in Mc. They told me that is how it was supposed to be. That was a long time ago though. The line was because it was to represent it was an abbreviation of Mac.

[@barbarawinkle6421]

My father did as well. I had forgotten about that.

[@user-fh1rz1uq6c]

Yea, my surname is McKernan and we were taught in primary school in Belfast to write the line under the c, in the late 60s. In our case it was a double line, I'm fairly sure. Then the line was dropped at some point that I can't remember, but everybody with a "Mc" name still put the small c up at the top (so still with a space below the small c, but no line) and that also disappeared at some point (probably because the typed or keyboard version became the norm, sometime during or after the 1970s)

[@michaelmcknight8419]

That’s how we wrote our surname McKnight and sometimes MacKnight

[@shieldsandrew0]

I speak Scottish Gaelic and can confirm that Mac means the son of... and is the predominant spelling of Mac, in Scotland. It should also me noted that in both Scotland and Ireland the choice of spelling is sometimes down to down to “religious persuasion “ But also Mc (Mic) means sons (plural) of

[@raoulduke344]

What's your source for "Mac" being the predominant spelling in Scotland?

[@amclea28]

@@raoulduke344 He speaks the language. A bheil thu?

[@raoulduke344]

@@amclea28 Speaking the language isn't really an indicator of whether Mac is the most predominant spelling in Scotland.

[@amclea28]

@@raoulduke344 Nothing in this video cites a source, interesting though it is, outwith the prevalence of the Gaelic language today across Ireland and Scotland. My personal experience as a Scot with an Mc name, over the last 50 years, is that the vast majority I know are Mac. In Glasgow and the western Central Belt, Mc appears to be more prevalent. Of course, I can't prove it and I haven't undertaken any academic research. I live it.

[@raoulduke344]

@@amclea28 So do I, and my experience is that I've encountered far more "Mc" than "Mac", which makes sense given the history of the country. That's why I was asking for a source.

[@liammalarky3483]

Many years ago I worked on indexing and cross referencing entries in the Falkirk Herald newspaper prior to its storage on micro fiche. This included every entry from its first edition in 1845 until 1984. The anglicised Mac/Mc prefixes were used interchangeably even when naming the same person. I noticed also that M' was often used instead (e.g. M' Donald) presumably to save on ink.

[@jgog59]

It was not used to save on ink. It was used to diminish the Irish and Scottish language. It was very singular in its purpose, is to get rid of Gaelic culture. Look up the Irish or Scottish spelling version of whatever your name is

[@TheEggmaniac]

MC and MAC are just different versions of the same prefix, and were used by people with names starting with that prefix, in both Scotland and Ireland. There is no difference between the use of it in Scotland or Ireland. It just depends how it was first written down, You will find either MC or MAC used equally and without distinction.

[@jgog59]

Let’s be clear Mc is actually the Anglicize version of Mac. You can Google the Gaeilge/Irish spelling of your name or Scottish Gaelic version of your name I’ll give you an example of O’Sullivan that’s the English version the Irish language spelling Ó Suileabhain

[@cooldaddy2877]

@@jgog59 Ó Súileabháin actually....though most misspell it as Ó Súilleabháin.

[@barryhamilton7845]

Always thought Mac was Scottish and Mc was Irish! And it shows the Clan Hunters name on the map that's shown,although the main Clan on the island of Arran was the Hamilton's.But then again Hunterston is just a Ross the water also,so the Clan Hunter could have been on the land also as I've noticed that birth west Ayrshire is where they came from.

[@thenextshenanigantownandth4393]

It's more so a higher frequency of Mc in Ireland and Mac in Scotland, I'm guessing this is where the misconception comes from. Either one could be Irish or Scottish, its an anglicisation afterall.

[@DeeZeeKidd]

Barry -- you are correct

[@Clans_Dynasties]

This is a generic map off the Internet and although it was eventually Hamilton territory the Clan Hunter were hereditary keepers of the Royal forrest of Arran which is why the creator may have placed the name their.

[@Sandwich13455]

@@Clans_Dynasties Yeah,its mc≠irish mac= Scots,but considering the scots came from Ireland and the plantation, it's not important.

[@grubbygruber1621]

@@Sandwich13455 agreed

[@calanmacleod3948]

I have instilled in my children to be very specific about how they and other people write their names. My great grandfather was removed during the highland clearances but his name was misspelt on the documentation. When we looked through the records it was hard to trace him, eventually through the names around his the misspelling was found. Happy days.

[@LetsGoRetroOfficial]

I'm an American descendent of the highland MacKays. My ancestors migrated to the United States, from Scotland in the late 1600s to early 1700s. Within three generations of moving to the U.S., for some reason unknown at the moment, the spelling was changed from MacKay to McCoy. Previous generations believed that, due to the spelling, the family originated in Ireland. However, that assumption never sat well with me. Now, thanks to old records being made public via the internet, we were able to trace our family tree all the way back to Scotland, proving my suspicions concerning our family origin to be correct. It also explains why I love the cold weather & get an adrenaline rush every time I hear bagpipes. *lol*

[@carthy29]

It was common for emigrants to change the spelling of their name once in the US and i think its to do with their accent, and people in the US spelling the surname as they hear it , instead of how it was actually spelt, given that the emigrants would be fluent gaelic native speakers instead of english speakers, if you get me , english wud not be their first language

[@LetsGoRetroOfficial]

@kimberann5762 Are you by chance related to the famous Pikeville Kentucky McCoys? Their ancestry is pretty well known. There is another branch that settled in the state of Virginia. While they do share a common ancestor in Scotland with the Kentucky McCoys, their history in the United States is completely separate. I have their history, if by chance that is your lineage.

[@brianmadigan69]

Mc is a derivation of Mac, an Irish language word meaning son of. This spread to Scotland with Irish colonisation.

[@brucecollins641]

@@brianmadigan69 rubbish. mac/mc and o are scottish which spread to ireland with a multude of scottish warriors/settlers centuries before the plantations of the 1600s.

[@MrSchizoid405]

@@brucecollins641 O' Bruce Collins an ignorant bigoted idiot.. Mac/Mc is found in Irish annals and ogham stones in the 4th century long before scotland . long before any scottish warriors arrived in small numbers in the 12th century from the gallowglass, which is probably what you're talking about, you can't ignore factual written evidence... Mc/mac is a more general Q celtic thing now, but its origins are clearly Ireland based on written evidence. The welsh equivalent surname is map which would have been what the scottish used before the Irish immigrated there. So mac/mc is Irish not scottish. O' obviously didn't originate in scotland either there's no records of it just like mc, O' and mac surnames were heavily introduced to Scotland by Irish famine immigrants.

[@GBU61]

“Mc” is a shorten form of “Mac”. You will also see M. or M’, but they all stand for Mac, just depended who wrote it down.

[@heatherjones9773]

How do we figure out the clan we belong to when the only spelling you have is the M'?

[@cooldaddy2877]

@@heatherjones9773 Jesus Christ!

[@matthewmcmahon8980]

Mc is a prefix which in the native tongue would have always been Mac which is "son of". It was shortened during the anglicisation of the island but some kept the mac. There's no hard and fast rule to it for the Scots nor Irish. Scots or Irish is only assumed from the main House name e.g. Brian in MacBrien or McBrien or O'Brien or the many derivatives.

[@michaelreddington1234]

Have you done any videos on the topic of Anglicisation of Irish Surnames? My surname is Reddington and my Father’s side goes back quite a few generations in Roscommon and Galway. My Dad always told me our surname must’ve been anglicised but I’ve never found much information on it.

[@thenextshenanigantownandth4393]

That's a good point plenty of Smiths in Ireland too.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

This will be covered as a video soon, As with Smith many people changed their names especially within the pale due to the statutes of Kilkenny which forbade the usage of Irish names, This continued later for many reasons, one reason was due to discrimination for having a perceived Gaelic name.

[@michaelreddington1234]

@@Clans_Dynasties looking forward to that video then. Keep up the great work with the channel

[@cecircinn2908]

100 Most Common Surnames in Scotland has MacDonald at 9 and McDonald at 25 . The difference is often just how it was recorded (births marriages etc) . As a native Scot we have McCrae as a family name which is documented as MacCrae and MacRae within 4 generations , I have found records of the family from earlier generations repeating this but with the addition of MacCrea as an option ! Similarly McLaughlin ( which I think of as Irish ) but actually MacLachlan previously. Pronunciation differing between my aunts and uncles including ma clawch lin ,ma clach lin , ma gloch lin & ma clack lin ( ch as in loch) It doesn't really matter as it is great being Scottish or Irish so it's a win win

[@jgog59]

But again, we’re still using the Anglicize version of our Scottish and Irish names that’s not our real names

[@patriciamccandless7940]

My husband's family, Presbyterians, went from Scotland to North Ireland than to PA by the 1750s. They were McCandless but it was said the name may have been Candlish or Caudlish in Scotland. Surames seem to change with the years and location.

[@johnbrereton5229]

My paternal grandmothers surname was Macklamb and she came from Durham in Northern England. Though, I believe the origins of this name are originally Scottish, but there are also Irish families with this name too. Therefore, when you look back into the past, you see how much our ancestors moved around on these islands, we are all related.

[@iloveponis]

They really didn't move around much. Genetic clusters to this day still mirror ancient Irish kingdoms borders. Irish and Scots and share a common ancestry and further bsck with the Welsh, but the English are mostly descended from germanic tribes be it the Saxons vikings or nornans.

[@johnbrereton5229]

@@iloveponis Not true ! This has long been believed following the writings of the monks Bede and Gildas, but this is now disputed by both Archaeology and DNA. It is now believed that there was no dark ages and that the ancient Britons carried on after the Roman's left and the English are there descendants. Though of course they did mix with various later arrivals, who incidentally didn't call themselves Anglo Saxons. DNA confirms this too, the majority of the English are 70% Celtic and only 30% 'Anglo Saxon', as are the southern Scots and the southern Welsh. Only in East Anglia is 'Anglo Saxon' DNA higher at 38%, so even there, Celtic British DNA predominants.

[@iloveponis]

@@johnbrereton5229 The validity of your arguments was done after you said there was no dark ages". Your statistics are incorrect, because if doesn't leave room for Skandiavian, Norman, Roman etc. Also you also referenced how east Anglia has different ancestry than other parts of england, that statement just proves we aren't all one. Gaelic Irish culture and heritage is completely different to someone from southern Britain for instance. Several languages were spoken on these Islands. There's much difference in the people's as well.

[@johnbrereton5229]

@@iloveponis The so called dark ages was just a political construct of the monks Gildas and Bede anxious to show how Britain declined after the Roman's left. However, their writings lack any verifiable dates or details and are now shown to be more of a political lament for the fall of the Roman Empire, than any factual record. As to the East Anglians being a completely different people, this is not verified by their DNA. As I previously stated they are only 8% different to all the other Britains so are far more like them, than not. Yes we had invasions by Scandinavians as well as so called Anglo Saxons, but their DNA is virtually indistinguishable from each other as is Norman DNA, who were of course also Vikings. Therefore, all their DNA is included in the 30% Anglo Saxon DNA. Also these are not 'my DNA statistics' they come from the latest research by leading geneticists. And these statistics corroborate the latest findings of archeologist as well . Also the Roman's left virtually no DNA here at all .

[@therabbithole-sn5yb]

This is funny to me because I was always taught that Mac is Scottish & Mc is Irish. However what I have found over the years of research that I have done is that Mac & Mc are both found in Scotland in the same families even, for example I've traced my MacKenzie side and found it also spelled McKenzie as well, also on my McLaren side I've found ancesters who spelled it MacLaren. Ot seemed to haveore to do with who was writing the document rather than weather these clan names were of Irish or Scottish origin.

[@MrSchizoid405]

Mac/Mc can be Irish or scottish and is found in both countries, although the surname prefix originated in Ireland. The welsh equivalent is Map. Q and P celtic differences.

[@celticwarrior5261]

In America, I've seen headstones of Northern Irish immigrants from the 1700s with a star or apostrophe in front of the surnames instead of Mac or Mc. My ancestors used M'dannel for at least three generations after moving to the US.

[@janetclaireSays]

I've always heard the opposite, that "Mc" is Irish and "Mac" is Scottish. I live in Ireland and studied the Irish language for a few years.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Yeah the myth of each one being synonymous with one country often changes depending where you hear it,

[@Kickback-dm7zt]

Well I'm Irish and my surname is MC, not mac

[@janetclaireSays]

@@Clans_Dynasties It's not a myth. I live in Ireland and I took Irish language classes for a few years. Mc is Irish and Mac is Scottish.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

I also live in ireland and also took irish language classes as well as studying irish history if you look at 4:19 you can see both countries use the Mac and Mc aswell as M' and Mag as these are all the same word often wrote down differently.

[@Getorix]

I come from clan MacLean and it is also spelled McClain or McClaine. And there's a lot of other ways to spell it. Both come from Scotland. Infact one MacLean was the northern portion of the isle of mull. While a McClaine was awarded the southern portion of the isle of mull for their services in the Scottish war of independence. The only difference between them was that they were brothers. I also come from mckillop on my mother's side. I've seen about 30 different versions of that name as well. One even looked like macgulp. It really depends on who was writing the names. Also need to take in account the fact there was no uniform standard for English. As long as it kinda looked how it sounded was good enough. Eggs? Egges? Eyyes? Yeah all the same word.

[@douglasmcneil8413]

My Father wanted to name me Neal Og McNeil. My mother said absolutely not. So, after some compromise I ended up with Douglas William McNeil. Both sides of the family were satisfied as my maternal great grandfather was William. My family's been in the Americas for about 300 years, and I grew up on the west coast. But I was raised with a great respect for our family history. So, I've always felt a connection to my ancestry. Liked and subscribed to your channel.

[@janewatson5388]

@douglasmcneil8413 my dad was called John McNeill as was my papa and brother, he used to always say an L makes a hell of a difference 😂 I'm proud to be from a McNeill clan too (my maiden name) born & bred here in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿!

[@brianamccarthy98]

I was born in the US but my dad's from Ireland with the last name Gallagher, he also named me Brenna because he loves the history behind King Brennus, the Celt who brought the Romans to their knees after he defeated their army and captured Rome.

[@BeardedChieftain]

A pretty good, simple, easily understandable explanation. Well done lad.

[@barrygriffin9159]

Mc is an abbreviation of the Gaelic word Mac, and this abbreviation is associated with anglicized surnames of Gaelic origin. The original surname would not have included this abbreviation. This is true for both Ireland and Scotland and surnames starting with Mc are now far more common in both countries since the surnames are now anglicized.

[@TheCoffeybeans]

Could you please take a look at Coffey or Ó Cofaigh please? I rarely see it mentioned when talking about Irish surnames

[@Clans_Dynasties]

I intend to cover every name in Ireland and Scotland, O'Cofaigh is rarely pointed out because unfortunately its overshadowed by the Coffey surname that came across in the plantations, I intend to to cover both.

[@TheCoffeybeans]

@@Clans_Dynasties Sounds good, thank you. I've heard of Ó Cobhthaigh too

[@finn4012]

Can someone explain my surname Gallagher to me. Is it a foreign helper (helping the Vikings) or my grandfather’s belief that it’s foreign warrior (the Gallowglass or some other group of warriors)?

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Modern DNA research by groups and independents researchers such as Dr Tyrone Bowes supports an Irish Gaelic origin for the name Gallagher, The ancient genealogies of the annals up to the 6th Century for the most part seem to be supported by modern DNA, So the origin story of being part of the Cenel Conaill may have some credence. At least more credible than a Norse origin, I intend to do a video on them in the future.

[@finn4012]

@@Clans_Dynasties cool, thanks for the information

[@branni6538]

Any info on all the names ending in 'igan'??? I remember reading somewhere it was 'tribe of' or 'son of' but I don't know.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Merchandise : www.clans-dynasties.com/ please follow my other work at kzbin.info/door/Dcw0slvJNZGb_JKg0BehOw If you wish to support the channel further please click the patreon link www.patreon.com/Clans_Dynasties

[@janetslicer3637]

My family name is Kirkwood and is Scottish. Not every Scottish name starts with a Mc. So where do all of our odd-ball names come from? Do we somehow fall beneath a number of other odd-ball names that eventually fall under a clan or two or three? How does that actually work? Or are our names kind of just scraped up in a dust pan and sprinkled among all the clans in an area? I am trying to figure out if there was any rhyme or reason as to why our names fell in with the clans they did. Or were we just considered the bottom of the bucket? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated as your time permits. Janet Kirkwood Slicer (you can ignore the last name, that's just by marriage)

[@thomasmoore5949]

This is not about those names. This is about patronymics.

[@andrewheaney6858]

Mac & Mc are the same thing the only difference being Mc is and abbreviation of Mac, it’s that simple !

[@carolynklenk8467]

My Grandfather name is McAdoo !! Looking for other McAdoos!! Would like to know what area this name came from? Thanks for sharing!! ❤

[@celticscribe7887]

Great video please do more on Scottish clans!

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Thank you!! i intend to cover all the clans and families of scotland.

[@kathleenmckeithen118]

@@Clans_Dynasties That's great! My last name (married name) is McKeithen. I saw yellow areas on the map with the name Keith. We have always assumed McKeithen to be Scottish, and to mean "son of Keith". Some in the family insist that the McKeithen's were part of the clan MacDonald. It is very interesting to me. My own parents' last names were Snelling and Baker (English, I'm sure), but my maternal grandmother's maiden name was Kendrick, and my maternal grandfather's name was Hanchey. If I had a lot of money to spare I would love to go back into my history. I am American born and bred so you know how that goes.

[@Peoppell]

I was very interested to see the armorials at the beginning of your video….one interests me: the severed red hand with the lion rampant…do you know the family it belongs too at all? I have an unidentified ancestor with an almost exactly the same…but their lion was crowned. Any assistance you can provide would be appreciated.

[@ianbeadle6313]

Mc is an abbreviation of Mac, both mean "Son of". Also bear in mind that the Irish formed a large community in Scotland centuries ago, displacing the resident Picts/Scots.

[@brucecollins641]

IAN BEADLE......the prefixes mac/mc and o's are scottish in origin. mac/mc are pictish. bridie mac mor , bridie mac fergus. the prefix o is how we pronounce of in scotland.i.e o'donnell /of the clan donald. o'neil/of the clan neil. these prefixes were mostly adopted in the 1800's in ireland to distance themselves from their anglo-norman roots. the myth of the scots being a tribe from ireland is what it is......a tale. this tale was written by irish monks in the 1200s then amended and adapted in 1640 to create an identity on a par with the romans and other classical nations of the time. there was no invasion/incursion from ireland into scotland. archaeological evidence suggests the other way round. it's written and pronounced "gallic" in scotland no gaelic. the galls/gauls fled the frankish region of europe because they were always at war with the romans. they fled to england but when the romans invaded england they then fled to and settled in scotland.

[@cecircinn2908]

total nonsense

[@Paulo84999]

@@brucecollins641 🤣🤣🤣 Clueless

[@brucecollins641]

@@Paulo84999 irish history has to be one o the most detailed histories in the world. as one irish historian states to much detail for it to be accurate. much of your history is embellished adaptations of other nations history. onyhoo, you give me the history of the macs/o's in ireland .also explain the origins to everybody ....from where,when and how did the mythical "gaels" enter ireland. donal/donnell is how we pronounce donald in scotland. o'neil also scottish. the wee apostrophe after the o replaces the f..i'e of the clan donald/of the clan neil. type in....dalriada -the sea kingdom irelands eye magazine.......look at the size o dalriada in ireland,then look at the size o it in scotland. it's most likely the area of dalriada in ulster actually came from scotland to ireland. the macs/o,s adopted in the 1800s alang with your music and culture from scotland. irish nationalists wanted to distance themselves from their anglo-norman roots. whose beteer to adopt then the scots culture/history.

[@cecircinn2908]

Talorc mac Achiuir King of the Picts Reign 387-412

[@kennyg8370]

Can you do a video on the isle of mann? My family (Michael) in America, descended from isle. Thanks

[@andreamccourt7342]

I'm not sure I heard of these pronunciations of mac and mc. To me they are pronounced the same in my book.

[@garymckay7669]

it is

[@brihev4355]

My mom is from Antrim, she was a Kerr and McCourt. We also have Kirkpatrick relations.

[@terencebennison6275]

So, the Mackenzies could have more of an irish history.? Very interesting, I have just subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to why each clan settled into it's own particular area of Scotland. I'm presuming the Mackenzies originally came over from Ireland and settled in the 'kintail' region. Around the Eilean Donan castle on the Kyle of Lochalsh?

[@Clans_Dynasties]

This is a theory yes, As with many families from the Highlands and Isles there is often an oral tradition that links them to the Irish kingdom of Dal Raida, Wether it is true is often up for debate, I hope to have a Mackenzie video this year looking into the origins and stories of the clan.

[@terencebennison6275]

@@Clans_Dynasties great ! I will look forward to that!

[@rocbro2935]

I have read that the Mackenzie's came from the House of Geraldine from Ireland, I have Scandinavian blood more then I do Irish so I'm thinking the Mackenzie's originally came from the Northeast Scotland from the Pictish but that's going back to the 9th century

[@brucecollins641]

@@rocbro2935 lol you read a lot o nonsense then mckenzie is scottish. the prefixes mac/mc(mic is just how we pronounce it in scotland) and o are scottish. this nonsense it means grandson of in ireland. no, it's also scottish and jist means ..o'donnell/o'neil the wee apostrophe after the o replaces the "f" i.e of the clan donald...of the clan niel...there is a huge scottish influence in ireland from scottish clans. most of the macs/mcs and o's were adopted in ireland from scotland in the 1800s to distance themselves from their anglo-norman roots. also..kilts/bagpipes/fiddle reel music/ceilidths/stepdance and more.look up.....".the story of the gallowglasses -the wild geese"......look at the map...all scottish clans.then again hired scottish clans for the battlo knockdoe,then again for the battle o kinsale, then scottish redshanks then the planters.look up....".history of the surname macdonnell ireland calling...."look up....".macniel clan shocked as dna forces the rewrite of history"........this niall of the nine hostages is a mythical tale. then look up.....".origins-mcniel and beyond jeff mcniel"......one american who actually knows something.

[@CCLilja]

Mackenzies is one of the grand clans of the Scottish Highlands. This is also the correct Highland spelling of Mac-names, instead of the variant spelling Mac Kenzie.

[@cyankirkpatrick5194]

With your channel I've actually learned a lot and thank you

[@thenextshenanigantownandth4393]

My general view would be that Mc/Mac are both Irish and scottish in origin, often times the same surname not actually connected. And that O' would be entirely Irish in origin. Mc meaning son and O meaning grandson. I find that Mc is more common in Ireland due to English anglicization of surnames due to English rule, which Scotland was never subjected too. Thus wouldn't the thumbnail you used in the video be the otherway around? Not to say that it's exclusive to either, it's just anglicisation. But the general misconception is that Mc is Irish and Mac is Scottish. You're right that Mc and Mac are both Irish and Scottish, but not connected in most cases, it's merely due to having a similar language. 3:59 this is odd, as far as I know O surnames in Scotland are entirely of Irish origin from various Irish emigrations to the country, there's no Scottish Gaelic tradition of O surnames in Scotland, with the exception of say the lowland surname such as Tam o' Shanter which is Anglo-Scottish in origin from the 18th century. The examples you gave O'May is generally considered to be Ulster Irish in Origin and O'shannaig? Iv'e never heard of that surname btw.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

O'May is a branch of the Sutherland clan and O'Shannaig of the MacDonnells much like the Campbells O'Duibne maternal ancestor the O' Preffix has existed in Scotland although these names have changed over time, As you stated parts of Scotland share a common tongue this has led to unrelated names appearing in multiple locations with the more prominent branches histories filling the books and Internet, we can see this with the name Clarke in Ireland, popularly considered to descendants of the O'Clearys from Connacht (eventually Donegal) but there are totally unrelated lines like the Clarkes of County down are most likely a Dal Riata family but to find the sources for this is a lot harder, it's both a joy and a huge pain when researching for these videos 🤣.

[@thenextshenanigantownandth4393]

@@Clans_Dynasties " O' Preffix has existed in Scotland although these names have changed over time" It's not a matter of if it existed in Soctland but if it's Scottish in origin, Polish names could exist in Ireland it wouldn't make them Irish, however. My understanding of the O/Ua Preffix is that it didn't exist when Scotland and Ireland culture parted ways in the middle ages. Given the proximity to Ireland you're bound to have O surnames in Scotland but this is due to Irish emigration and rare. So while Ireland had Mc surnames it also developed O surnames, something that didn't exist in Scotland unless it was imported from Ireland at a later date. What I found on O'Duibhne would indicate that it originated in Ireland. The name O'May seems to have a connection to the Ulster branch. Do you have any evidence that the surname prefix was present in Scotland in the middle ages independent of Irish immigration. www.scottishhistory.com/articles/misc/macvsmc.html It's an old article but that would be my understanding of it.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

No I don't have the evidence as I also believe the theory that the O' prefix is a Gaelic import from Ireland to Scotland in the early medieval period, i think this is more about personal terminology, I would consider the names Gordon, Graham and Fraser Scottish the same with Butler, Fitzgerald and Burke are Irish regardless of the origins of the earliest known ancestor its where the name is standardised or where a name has settled for a substantial amount of time in my personal opinion, The names O'Shaig, O'Shannaig, O'May are associated with clans MacDonald and Sutherland but I do respect this is a really early import into Scotland Which is why like you said in the video, I mention its more likely to be Irish instead of just leaving it how I would personally group surname ethnicities.

[@thenextshenanigantownandth4393]

@@Clans_Dynasties Not sure if they're early. Any time such names that have Fitz in Ireland they're almost always stated to be of Norman origin, apart from say Fitzpatrick. Besides Fitz surnames in Ireland are far far more common than O in scotland, I hope I'm not understating that point. Also you said "parts of Scotland share a common tongue" As far as I know and you probably know to Scottish Gaidhlig doesn't share that within its language like Ireland does, so it's not a case of common language. Your statement is disingenuous because O surnames are not Scottish in origin and not common in Scotland, how many O surnames are there in Scotland? I'm betting it's less than 2%. On the other hand Mc/Mac surnames are very common in Ireland even discluding Ulster and are a case of common language as you admitted on both accounts. Your explanation makes it seem like O is a mac/mc situation common to both ethnicities, when it definitely isn't.

[@thenextshenanigantownandth4393]

@@Clans_Dynasties And while I agree with you that an O surname given enough time can be Scottish regardless of its origins, much the same way as Mac may have been an Irish import too, O surnames are not common enough in scotland imo to warrant a mention in the way that you presented it. Anyway I hope you're not on Pritt.

[@garlickebagg]

What about RICHARDSON?

[@kinnonmcallister]

Great video and very informative. I wish you had scanned over Scotland much slower so it is easier to pick out my surname for example. 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@uptick888]

McClough is it Scottish or Irish? It is my great grandparents name but they were in Romania I am totally confused ..TY for any help❤️

[@Ionlytellthetruth]

Could be either and unrelated.

[@haraldtheyounger5504]

MacDougall's & MacDonald's are both from the sons of Somhairlidh, otherwise known as Somerled. Two very in-depth books The Sea Kings, and The Kingdom of The Isles, both by R. Andrew McDonald, give the full history.

[@Sabhail_ar_Alba]

Somerled had three sons - mac allister.

[@haraldtheyounger5504]

@@Sabhail_ar_Alba The MacAllister's came from Donald, not Somhairlidh himself.

[@MrSchizoid405]

Somerled was of course of Irish ancestry.

[@brucecollins641]

@@MrSchizoid405 nonsense.....he was never of irish ancestry..

[@MrSchizoid405]

@@brucecollins641 F off bruce you know nothing about history and are a bigot.the bruce was descended from dermot macmurrough.

[@brettdixon1592]

I've been really struggling to find any information for the last name Dixon. The only geology in my family I have is that I have a great-great-great-grandfather named Thomas Dixon who had eight other family members who lived in county Monaghan in Ireland during the potato famine and Thomas Dixon left his family to go to America. I've been doing my own research as far as the name Dixon and I can't find anything as far as we're exactly the pin-point accurate information regarding the Dixon family name.

[@carlarthur4442]

My ancestors come from Scotland & Ireland/ Denmark, our surname on my Dads side was Mac Arthur , Scottish, but the Mac at some point was dropped . Thanks for the information on this interesting subject 😊

[@midsouthirish1680]

Good Video boyo! Been tracking a few names myself with no luck. Moneham is one.. any thoughts y’all

[@rph111745]

Mc is an abbreviation of Mac, that's all .

[@paulmckenzie4291]

Hi Richard, it would be great for your explanation to be true but, through the centuries, the presence or absence of the a in Mac/Mc had significant meaning at the grassroots level. No doubt there were spelling mistakes and personal choice but, to those whose culture and lineage persist, the presence or absence of the 'a' represents distant religious and political affiliation. In a similar way, many native Irish were forced to drop the gealige prefix of "O'", which denoted patriarchal clan/family lineage, in order to be allowed to remain on the land by colonial landowners who also sought denunciation of religion and language. The proliferation of anglicised names across the island is a clear sign of the fear and subjugation imposed. Renouncing your name in order to survive is no small act. Who do you become if you are no longer who you were? How far does the subversion go? It was the same for the Jews from Eastern Europe, way before WW2 - Wiess/White, Braun/Brown, Goldman/Gold etc. Back to the point, in some societies, flung afar due to conflict or other hardships, the diff between Mac and Mc can be the difference between hello, and welcome. Genealogy, anthropology and archeology are fascinating disciplines, that link us to our past and inform our present, but cultural imprinting often eludes broad explanation and persists, in many forms. So many times I'm asked how I spell McKenzie and, having clarified, I'm handed the resulting document only to see an A between the M and the C. I'm over 50 and this has been a lifelong experience. Curious rather than crippling but still a thing ... PhD anyone? Cheers

[@alanmarkfoster1862]

Which Mac or Mc surnames are most common in Scotland and which are most common in Ireland? It seems that there are great animosity between Scottish and Irish people despite having a lot of common Goidelic Celtic origin

[@lindylou7853]

I always thought the Irish name for one of the relative’s farms was kind of romantic until an Irish friend translated it: “Land of stones”.

[@ladymay9455]

I'm trying to find out weather Loveless is an Irish name or Scottish.... I was told by my dad we were mainly Irish but DNA test shows way more Scottish

[@carolannyoung97]

Mac and mc are both Scottish and Irish

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Yes they are 😁

[@alayadeluce]

My surname McGuirl is not very common. Ancestors are from county Leitram in Ireland. I've heard it could be a derivative of McGuire, McGill or possibly going back even further to Mag Fhearghail (sp?) I have more irish and norwegian than scottish in my dna.

[@johnnycallaghan]

@alayadeluce Hey! My mother's maiden name was McGuirl! They were also from Leitrim originally, although my great great grandparents (I think) moved to Cavan and we've been there since :) You're right though, it's not common at all. Outside of a few 2nd or 3rd cousins I don't know any other McGuirl/McGirls. It's also from the same origins as Farrell and Farrelly etc if you go back far enough, which are obviously far more common. But yeah, we're probably cousins! Small world! :)

[@alayadeluce]

@@johnnycallaghan oh cool! We definitely must be cousins.

[@Iceland874]

I thought Mac was Scottish and Mc Irish. My Macs are all Scottish - MacGregor, MacDonald etc. and my McKean, McCullough, McDowell etc are Irish.

[@Granuaile1]

My name is McLoughlin but when I use the correct Gaelic spelling it’s MacLochlainn. However as a female it should really be NicLochlainn (female version of Macao’s Ni is female version of Ui/O). As this is Gaelic it relates to both Ireland and Scotland. It was people from Ireland who brought Gaelic to Scotland (land of the Scotti ie Irish to the Romans).

[@Iceland874]

@@Granuaile1 thats true. After all King Kenneth MacAlpin was from across the water. We are an inseparable mix. Still its fun researching our clans and tracing them back. History comes alive.

[@Granuaile1]

@@Iceland874 Yes-like three possible sources for each person named McLoughlin (Viking, from the O’Neill Maelseachlan high kings or just someone named Lachlan-apparently became very popular in the early Middle Ages as a boy’s name). However it’s good to have the basic history of how things originate and forget about this Irish one thing Scottish another stuff as it’s irrelevant.

[@Iceland874]

@@Granuaile1 absolutely. Thanks for sharing.

[@MuayThai_Don]

It's what comes after the prefix that defines whether it's Scottish or Irosh

[@raymondmoore2707]

How bout some information about the knights of the red branch?

[@KathyAndrew]

My family is Scottish, read the will of John Andrews written about 1610, he was planning to move from England to Ireland, we were living in Cambridge at the time, and his eldest son was already at Jamestown

[@jennifergarrett6809]

I have been researching my family and recently found an ancestor with the last name Cloyd. He was born in Scotland but ended up in Ireland around the 1680s where he married a French woman, had 3 sons then moved to America. Some of the research shows that his name is probably was MacLoyd. Was it common for a person to drop part of the name like what was done here??

[@Sabhail_ar_Alba]

In Scottish Gaelic , mac = son and mic = sons. So in effect it's interchangeable in Scotland . My Scottish family name is Mclellan but others write it with the mac prefix.

[@jgog59]

That’s still an English version of your name look up the Scottish Gaelic version of your name

[@milford8485]

Very interesting subject .. What about Magee? Northern Irish name .. but what does it mean?

[@bobcprimus]

There's a reason the Irish have the slang nickname the "Mics", and not the "Macs".

[@bluechip297]

Go on, explain.

[@Glenlivet1955]

The reason is that the slang nickname is "Mick", which is short for Michael, a common name in Ireland.

[@bobcprimus]

@@bluechip297 Irish surnames begin with Mc. Scottish surnames begin with Mac. So the "Mc's" became the "Mics" It has little to do with the name Michael.

[@bobcprimus]

@@Glenlivet1955 Irish surnames begin with Mc. Scottish surnames begin with Mac. So the "Mc's" became the "Mics" It has little to do with the name Michael.

[@Glenlivet1955]

@@bobcprimus Well, we'll differ on that one. Have you never heard of "Jocks" and "Paddies"? "Mick" is in the same category. And by the way, my Scottish surname begins with "Mc". I wouldn't go into a pub in Inverness and tell all the fellows with "Mc" surnames that they are Irish, not Scottish.

[@gerardacronin334]

My mother’s family, the Spillanes, were known in West Cork as the Phil Dans, to signify that Philip and Daniel were the boys’ names of choice in that branch of the Spillanes.

[@daniellamcgee4251]

According to my research, the surname Scott was from 'Scotti' referring to the 'Irish foreigners' who invaded Scotland. Many returned to Ireland within a couple of generations.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

The confessions of St patrick never mentions Race, Scots or Hibernians the confession can be downloaded for free just google it.

[@neanderthaloutdoors9202]

Thank you for correcting and explaining this.

[@the_original_public_newsense]

Whaaat? Actually, two out of three Mc surnames originate in Ireland. Two out of three Mac surnames originate in Scotland. Mc's are more likey to be Irish. Mac's are more likely to be Scottish. For those who don't know, Mc and Mac mean Son of. I love Irish history. I just found out I'm 45% Irish and 42% Northern Indian. I was raised to believe I'm French and Indian. I'm elated. I've always had a fascination with the Irish.

[@carolynklenk8467]

Thanks ago for explaining this subject!! My grandfather was a McAdoo!! Thanks for sharing!! ❤

[@danik.5545]

MAC and MC are Irish and Scottish, both forms are common in both countries, they are the same.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Correct, There are alot of misconceptions out there.

[@drrd4127]

@@Clans_Dynasties nope! You are wrong

[@Clans_Dynasties]

The sources used are in the description, please feel free to send me some stating otherwise I would be happy to correct this if proven wrong.

[@brucecollins641]

@@Clans_Dynasties both are scottish as is the o prefix.....in the late 1800s irish nationalists adopted them to distance themselves from their angl-norman root dropping the norman fitz in favour of the scottish macs/mcs and o's. they also adopted stepdance/ceilidths/ceilidth music/fiddler reel music and 100s of scottish fiddle reel tunes/bagpipes/kilts and more..also....it's gallic in scotland no the mythical gaelic.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Bruce, I have seen some of your replies in the past, most of them based on half truths, out of date theories, and fanciful connections that seem to share the same parallels to 18th and 19th century British Nationalism especially within Scottish academia, I'm always willing to engage in healthy debate about the history of these islands with peer reviewed sources, respect and a willingness to learn, I am yet to see any evidence of any of these from your previous replies, i alway attach sources to my videos, if you have respectable sources that contradict those, i am always willing to read them, I wish you well on your academic journey.

[@jakemcnamee9417]

I don't think so. I think some people just got lazy and abbreviated it to Mc . My name has several spelling variations, same surname, different people have spelled it slightly differently. Some only put one e on the end.

[@jakemcnamee9417]

Just means son of. In my case it's . Son of the hound of meath. Not sure who that was. Would be interested to find out

[@robcampbell6320]

Whoops! Back to the drawing board, Mac is Scots and Mc is Irish. Nonetheless, well done on some fine work. The Scots or Scotti as they were known then, migrated from Ireland to the western parts of Scotland, setting up the kingdom of Dalriada, later merging with the Picts at the time of the MacAlpine king, to form Alba which later became Scotland. Interestingly, during the Roman occupation of Britain, The Romans referred to Ireland as Scotia (place of the Scotti), and Scotland was referred to as Caledonia (place of the trees or forests)

[@gallowglass2630]

Rob Campbell There is a GAA stadium in castlebar county mayo ireland called originally after a bishop McHale park ,now its called MacHale park after a relative of his pointed out that he spelt the name with a mac.

[@GrahamMacdonald-w9o]

Regarding Mac v Mc, my great grandfather was registered on his birth certificate as James McDonald in Banffshire in 1872, as James MacDonald on his marriage certificate in Orkney in 1895 and as James Macdonald on his death certificate in Edinburgh in 1948. When I queried this at the Aberdeen and North-East of Scotland Family History Society, I was told that there was no national database in the UK prior to the 1911 National Insurance Act and, although the literacy rate was already pretty high in 1872, people were quite casual about how they spelt their name prior to 1911. When I was young, I remember going through the phone book for Edinburgh, where I lived, and the three spellings of Macdonald / McDonald / MacDonald all seemed to be about as common as each other. Until I saw this video, I had never come across the idea that one spelling was Scottish and another was Irish. My parents wanted to give me a Scottish forename and that is why I am called Graham. I was aware that it was a name of Norman origin but didn't realise all the background during the reign of King David I. The town of Grantham in Lincolnshire gets its name via the same source, apparently, by adding the 'nt' in the middle.

[@sandrider1406]

Mac is SCOTTISH! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 you upload is completely ill informed.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

It is both irish and Scottish, please check 4:19 for examples being used by both countries on surnames

[@deborahharper3427]

My mother's maiden name is Kilpatrick but from what I know it used to be different then that I'm not sure I have been given 2 or 3 names not sure what they are I only remember Kirkpatrick from what els I know they moved from Ireland to Scotland I would to know what is the origin it is

[@neilraffan6756]

Well for a start Mc is Irish and mac is Scottish

[@iaintait6232]

MC and Mac depends who wrote it both mean son of except for MacHine

[@gregwilliams386]

Why do we can the Irish Mics and the Scottish Macs?

[@danrobsonjr247]

What can you find out about the name Robson I know it’s origin is from Scotland and was part of clan Gunn . Not much more have I been able to find out

[@wynbrown7321]

Goggin and Foley??

[@rapier1954]

Mac means son of in both Scot's Gaelic and Irish because both are derived from Old Irish from which the prefix originates. Mc and even M' are both abbreviations of Mac.

[@admiralbill1]

My understanding is that, in Scotland, the first born son was Mac and other sons were Mc. Daughters were Nc - as in NcLeod, for example. There’s a complication with the Gaelic alphabet. There is no j,k,q,v,w,x,y,or z, so if a name contains any of these letters, it is likely to be an anglisation of the original Irish or Scottish name. (This applies to both Irish and Scottish Gaelic names.)

[@CarolManning-s6p]

What or where did the name McIvers derive from?

[@Getorix]

2:10 there's a town outside of derby that shares my actual last name. MacLean was my grandfathers name. There was also once a castle there, now just the foundation, that shares the same name and I've always wondered how we got the name. Why would peoples name themselves after places though? That's one thing I've never really understood. Out of a sort of patriotism?

[@brianbridle951]

According to some research, the Garvey family were ex Portugese/Spanish from the 900's landing in Dingle the spreading. eventually their Queen Scotia sent peopel to North Britian hence the name Scotland. What do your think?

[@bobcprimus]

Yeah, absolute nonsense.

[@joegrande4848]

I heard in Ireland it's called a sect not a clan. I Heard clan pertained to Scotland

[@johnpatrick5307]

sept

[@gailcullinan]

CULLINAN .. I am 2nd generation Irish South Afican and Catholic, my grandfather was born in County Clare during May 1890. Do you have history from 800 AD when our ancestor McCormick OÇullinan took his father's christian name Cuillanaene as their surname. The first son born to our surname was Glaisne O'Cuillanaene. Thank you, I love your channel

[@notmyrealname6150]

What part of Ireland does the name McFly come from? 😁

[@theeddorian]

One of my friends family had immigrated from Scotland to the US. When they entered the US, via Ellis Island, the individual recording their entry changed the "Mac-" to "Mc-". It was always a bit of a laugh.

[@angusmckenzie9622]

Of academic interest only. The peoples of the British Isles and Ireland did not stay in the same place, they all moved around. Padraig Pearse's father was born and grew up in England. Smith is a common name in Dublin, half of England and Scotland are descended from generations crossing from Ireland. I have 2 friend/acquaintances surnamed McCormack, one claims Scot ancestry, t'other Irish.

[@Ionlytellthetruth]

The Irish and Scottish had the same language for millennia so they could come up with the same surname independent of each other. Smith is an anglicization of an Irish surname McGowan meaning smith. The surname MacCormack is first found in Ireland Iv'e read some of the Irish MacCormack's moved to scotland.

[@catfury360]

Any reason why Clan MacFarlane isn’t on any of your maps !??? They were an important Highland clan and quite a famous one with many descendants and ancestors are the original Earls of Lennox

[@Clans_Dynasties]

I apologise but these maps are taken of the internet, I didn't create them, they are there to give the viewer examples, there are thousands of names in Scotland all with great histories I cant have them all represented at all times which is why I'm giving each family its own video.

[@Glenlivet1955]

I believe that the MacFarlanes were a landless clan.

[@rickbunch868]

Is " Bunch" a Scottish surname?

[@sired478]

Never knew Ó (O') was used in Scottish Gaelic names... after a bit of "research" there appears to be only a few with the prefix O'-Ó ...maybe 3 or 4 Scottish Gaelic surnames...

[@Clans_Dynasties]

I know it was a very small number barely worth mentioning, although i thought if i didnt mention them someone would make the point of bringing them up , i also took into consideration the Galton-Watson process where more O' names may have existed but died out.

[@Ionlytellthetruth]

Yes that's correct It's used in three scottish surnames.. Mac is used in over a thousand Irish surnames..

[@brandyschmidt272]

Where did ODaniel come from?

[@bazzer124]

That was a pretty cool video. I even saw my surname on one of the maps, complete with the O' which was dropped who knows when. Cheers....

[@carmelacox2645]

Do you know where the surname McKiddy is from?

[@MrHDE-ex6xl]

Hope you had a great Christmas 🎄and hope you have a great 2022.

[@Clans_Dynasties]

Thank you Merry Christmas and a happy new to you too.

[@Waterbaby-b2t]

What about mccorry?

[@jackshistory9378]

I’m McAndrew and my whole families been Irish for as long as we can go back. Is there any chance of crossover?

[@Clans_Dynasties]

There a re multiple reasons for someone to have a Scottish surname in Ireland even if they are not of Scottish descent themselves, checking you earliest known ancestors location and religion and compare this with the areas history, As In Strangford area - Presbyterian most likely from the plantations Strangford area - C.O.I, earlier Scottish Settler (Gallowglass) or Converted native Irish. Or Strangford Area - Catholic, earlier Scottish Settler (Gallowglass) or Native Irish This is in no way 100%, recent studies have shown of those Presbyterians that came across to Ulster 88% of their descendants are still Presbyterians. But its a good starting point.

[@jackshistory9378]

@@Clans_Dynasties yeah that’s true. Always found it strange as my family are in the least Protestant part of Ireland (middle of nowhere 😂), so I just assumed it was Irish as most Scottish settlers in the last few hundred years were Protestant.

[@carlmcvey6451]

So long as it has no connection with the Queens favourite son.😲

[@Sonny-m1f]

The highland clan stewart comes from the breton (bretagne) fitzallen.

[@ranaldthurgood4875]

As others have said, it all depends on which family member, census-taker, minister, priest, or whatever wrote down the name. I have Cape Breton cousins called MacCormick and McCormac, all descended from the same Hebridean ancestors who immigrated to Canada in the early 19th Century. In older Scottish literature, instead of Mc or Mac, you'll find M'. It's only recently that spelling became standardized, and that never happened with family names. Johnson, Johnson, Johns, and Jones all mean the son of John (also MacIain, McShane). That's not even getting into the overlap between Mc and O' in Ireland.

[@JamesMcClaren-fx2bs]

I'm curious about the difference between Mac, Mc, and McC. Larens.

[@Hsalf904]

In northeast Nova Scotia I’d say over half of people have Highland surnames and they’re pretty much all spelt with “Mac”. If you have an “Mc” surname it’s a sign you’re from aways

[@kathleenoman726]

On my father's side, a McDonald (Irish) married a Vickers (English?) (generation earlier, an unknown French married Vickers) and an unknown married a Schwertfeger (German). On my mother's side, Smith (???) married Mitchell (Irish) and unknown married Tinman (Scottish???). Is Tinman a Scottish surname?

[@McConnachy]

I’m Scottish and have Mac from my fathers side and McDonald from my mothers. Also in Gaelic (Scottish) Nic is used for the female. Mac was originally Mic or Mhic depending on how it’s being used.