MacMhuirich (surname)

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MacMhuirich
GenderMasculine
Language(s) Scottish Gaelic
Other gender
FeminineNicMhuirich
Origin
Meaning"son" + "of Muireach "
Other names
Anglicisation(s) Currie, MacVurich

MacMhuirich is a masculine surname in Scottish Gaelic. The feminine form of the surname is NicMhuirich. The masculine form translates into English as "son of Muireach", and the feminine name translates as "daughter of MacMhuirich". The personal name Muireach means "mariner". The surname has been borne by a noted Hebridean family of bards, who claimed descent from an early 13th-century Irish bard.

Contents

Etymology

The Scottish Gaelic MacMhuirich is a masculine surname. It originated as a patronym, meaning "son of Muireach ", although the surname no longer refers to the father of the bearer.

The personal name Muireach is a form of the Irish Muireadhach . [1] These names are derived from the element muir, meaning "sea". [2] The names have been generally translated into English as "mariner"; [2] for example, George Fraser Black translated the names as "belonging to the sea". [1] According to Black, these personal names are much confused with the name Murchadh , [1] which has been translated into English as "sea warrior" [1] and "sea battler". [2]

Feminine form

The feminine form of MacMhuirich is NicMhuirich. This feminine name is composed of the prefix Nic-, which is an abbreviated form of the Scottish Gaelic nighean mhic [3] or nì mhic, [4] which translates into English as "daughter of the son"; thus NicMhuirich translates as "daughter of MacMhuirich"

Anglicised forms

The Scottish Gaelic MacMhuirich has been Anglicised as MacVurich. [5] The phonetics on the Isle of Arran are such that MacMhuirich was pronounced "Ac Uiri" and "Ac Fuiri" due to elision; [6] thus the Scottish Gaelic surname has also been Anglicised as Currie . [2] The surname MacMhuirich has also been Anglicised as Macpherson , due to a confusion of clan-names borne by separate families (see below).

Families

The surname was borne by the noted family of bards, Clann MacMhuirich or Clann Mhuirich, who claimed descent from Muireadhach Albanach, an early 13th-century Irishman who settled in Scotland and was himself employed as a bard. According to Black, who wrote in the mid 20th century, some relations of this family currently bear the surname Macpherson . The confusion arose from the fact that the Macphersons from Badenoch, commonly known in English as "Clan Macpherson", are also traditionally known in Scottish Gaelic as Clann Mhuirich . [5]

Notable people with the surname

Related Research Articles

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Curry is a common surname used in Ireland, Scotland and England. Currey is a less common variant. In England and Scotland, the is thought to derive from local place names and, in Scotland, also possibly from MacMhuirrich.

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MacEachainn is a masculine surname in Scottish Gaelic. The name translates into English as "son of Eachann". The feminine form of the name is NicEachainn, which translates to "daughter of the son of Eachann". These surnames originated as a patronyms. However, they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father or grandfather. There are numerous Anglicised forms of MacEachainn.

Scottish surnames are surnames currently found in Scotland, or surnames that have a historical connection with the country.

Murchadh is masculine given name of Irish origin, used in the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages.

Mac Coitir and Mac Oitir are masculine surnames in the Irish language. The names translate into English as "son of Oitir". These surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. There are specific forms of these surnames that are borne by married and unmarried females. There are numerous Anglicised forms of these surnames.

Mac Amhlaoibh is a masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English as "son of Amhlaoibh". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form of the surname for unmarried females is Nic Amhlaoibh. The forms for married females are Bean Mhic Amhlaoibh and Mhic Amhlaoibh. The Irish Mac Amhlaoibh has numerous Anglicised forms. The surname has been borne by several notable Irish families that are unrelated to each other.

Mac Ospaic is a masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English as "son of Ospac". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. There are specific forms of the surname that are borne by married and unmarried females. There is at least one Anglicised form of the surname.

Mac Íomhair is a masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English as "son of Íomhar". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form Nic Íomhair is borne by unmarried females; the forms Bean Mhic Íomhair and Mhic Íomhair are borne by married females. A variant form of Mac Iomhair is Mag Íomhair; the feminine forms of this surname are likewise Nig Íomhair, Bean Mhig Íomhair, and Mhig Íomhair. All these Irish surnames have various Anglicised forms.

Mac Sitric is a masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English as "son of Sitreac". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form Nic Sitric is borne by unmarried females; the forms Bean Mhic Sitric and Mhic Shitric are borne by married females. A variant form of Mac Sitric is Mag Sitric; the feminine forms of this surname are Nig Sitric, Bean Mhig Sitric, and Mhig Sitric. All these Irish surnames have various Anglicised forms.

Mac Torcaill is a masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English as "son of Torcall". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form Nic Thorcaill is borne by unmarried females; the forms Bean Mhic Thorcaill and Mhic Thorcaill are borne by married females. Variant forms of Mac Torcaill are Mac Thorcaill and Mac Thurcaill; the feminine forms of these two names are Nic Thorcaill, Nic Thurcaill, Bean Mhic Thorcaill, Bean Mhic Thurcaill, Mhic Thorcaill, and Mhic Thurcaill. All these Irish surnames have various Anglicised forms.

MacAlasdair is a masculine surname in Scottish Gaelic. The name translates into English as "son of Alasdair". The feminine form of the name is NicAlasdair, which translates into English as "daughter of Alasdair". These surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. There are numerous Anglicised forms of MacAlasdair.

Mac Amhalghaidh is an Irish masculine surname. The name translates into English as "son of Amhalghadh". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form of the surname for unmarried females is Nic Amhalghaidh. The forms for married females are Bean Mhic Amhalghaidh and Mhic Amhalghaidh. The Irish Mac Amhalghaidh has numerous Anglicised forms. The surname has been borne by at least one notable Irish family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacMhuirich bardic family</span>

The MacMhuirich bardic family, known in Scottish Gaelic as Clann MacMhuirich and Clann Mhuirich, and anglicised as Clan Currie was a prominent family of bards and other professionals in 15th to 18th centuries. The family was centred in the Hebrides, and claimed descent from a 13th-century Irish bard who, according to legend, was exiled to Scotland. The family was at first chiefly employed by the Lords of the Isles as poets, lawyers, and physicians. With the fall of the Lordship of the Isles in the 15th century, the family was chiefly employed by the chiefs of the MacDonalds of Clanranald. Members of the family were also recorded as musicians in the early 16th century, and as clergymen possibly as early as the early 15th century.

MacMhuirich may refer to:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Black, George Fraser (1946), The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, New York: New York Public Library, p. 620
  2. 1 2 3 4 Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com , retrieved 24 December 2010, which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN   0-19-508137-4 , for the surname "Murdoch".
  3. ↑ Black, George Fraser (1946), The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, New York: New York Public Library, p. 628
  4. ↑ Owen, Robert C. (1993), The Modern English-Gaelic Dictionary, Glasgow: Gairm, p. 87, ISBN   1-871901-29-4
  5. 1 2 Black, George Fraser (1946), The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, New York: New York Public Library, p. 569
  6. ↑ Mackenzie, W. M., The Book of Arran, vol. 2, The Arran Society of Glasgow, p. 116
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