Scottish names in Ulster

Last updated

The plantation of Ulster in the 17th century led to many Scottish people settling in Ireland. These are the surnames of the original Scottish settlers from 1606 to 1641, who would go on to become the 'Scotch-Irish'. [1]

Contents

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

K

L

M, Mac, Mc

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish people</span> Ethnic group native to the island of Ireland

Irish people are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a who share a common ancestry, history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been continually inhabited for more than 10,000 years. For most of Ireland's recorded history, the Irish have been primarily a Gaelic people. From the 9th century, small numbers of Vikings settled in Ireland, becoming the Norse-Gaels. Anglo-Normans also conquered parts of Ireland in the 12th century, while England's 16th/17th century conquest and colonisation of Ireland brought many English and Lowland Scots to parts of the island, especially the north. Today, Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The people of Northern Ireland hold various national identities including British, Irish, Northern Irish or some combination thereof.

McKee is a surname of Scottish or Irish origin. The surname is derived from the Gaelic Mac Aodha a patronymic form of an old Gaelic personal name which means "fire". Similar surnames which also are derived from the same Gaelic patronymic are McCoy, McGee, Kee and McKay. Notable people with the surname include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Armstrong</span> Border Scottish clan

Clan Armstrong is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Borders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Livingstone</span> Highland Scottish clan

The Clan Livingstone, also known as Clan MacLea, is a Highland Scottish clan, which was traditionally located in the district of Lorn in Argyll, Scotland, and is seated on the Isle of Lismore. There is a tradition of some MacLeas Anglicising their names to Livingstone, thus the Clan Livingstone Society's website also refers to the clan as the Highland Livingstones. The current chief of Clan Livingstone was recognised by Lord Lyon as the "Coarb of Saint Moluag" and the "Hereditable Keeper of the Great Staff of Saint Moluag."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orr (surname)</span> Surname list

Orr is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic Odhar meaning "dark, pale". In Scotland, Orr may be a sept of Clan Campbell.

McLoughlin is an Irish surname.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McAllister (surname)</span> Surname list

McAllister is a surname from Scotland and Ireland that originates from the Gaelic name Mac Alasdair, meaning son of Alasdair. Alasdair is the Gaelic form of the first name Alexander.

McArdle or MacArdle is an Irish surname. It originates in County Monaghan, where it was the fifth most common surname in 1970. The surname in Irish is MacArdghail, from ardghal, meaning 'high valour' or from the Irish "ardghail" meaning "tall foreigner" with roots "ard" meaning "tall" and "gail" meaning "foreigner", indicative of their original ancestor being a Viking or from Viking stock. The surname is also common in County Armagh and County Louth.

McQuillan and MacQuillan are surnames of Irish origin. There are several unrelated origins of the surnames McQuillan and MacQuillan.

Fergus or Feargus is a common and one of the oldest known Scottish or Irish male given name derived from proto-Scots Gaelic, meaning the strong (one) or the masculine (one).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacShane</span> Surname list

MacShane or McShane is an Irish surname. It derives from the Gaelic Mac Seáin or Mac Seagháin and evolved from the given name Shane, a derivative of John. Historically, the MacShanes from Ulster are a branch of the O'Neills, while in County Kerry, the surname was adopted by the Fitzmaurices.

McElwain or McElwaine is a surname of Gaelic origin. It can be derived from either Scottish or Irish. The Scottish translation being the anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Gille Bheathain, meaning ‘son of the servant of (Saint) Beathan’ and also a personal name representing a diminutive of beatha ‘life’. The Irish form being the anglicised form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Bháin, meaning ‘son of the white-haired lad’. In Ulster this surname can be derived to be the Scottish form as opposed to the Irish form which would be more common in the Republic of Ireland. Another anglicised version of the Irish "Mac Giolla Bháin" is the surname Kilbane.

Donlevy, Donleavy and Dunleavy are Irish surnames derived from the Gaelic Mac Duinnshléibhe/Ó Duinnshléibhe 'son/descendant of Donn Sléibhe'; a given name meaning 'Donn of the mountain', i.e. 'dark mountain'. The MacDonlevys were the hereditary rulers of Dál Fiatach and styled as the Kings of Ulaid, i.e. rulers of (east) Ulster, in present-day County Down.

The McPhillips surname may be of Scottish or Irish origin, the surname is found predominantly in Ireland, in Cavan, Fermanagh and Monaghan counties. It is usually derived from the common surname Phillips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGeachie</span> Surname list

The surname McGeachie is an Irish and a Scottish surname. In ancient times the family name in Gaelic was Mac or Mag Eachaidh.

McGirr, recorded as McGerr, McGirr, McGeer, and likely others, is an early Scottish and Irish surname which is common in Ulster. It derives from the pre-10th century Gaelic 'Mac an gHeairr' which is believed to translate as 'the son of the short man'. It is certain that almost all Gaelic surnames, whether Scottish or Irish, and that are not locational, derive from a nickname for the first nameholder or chief. Some of these original names were robust at best and often obscene for modern tastes, so, therefore, the meaning has been largely toned down over the years. That is not the case here, and referred to the physical size of the chief, at a time when generally people were small in stature in any case. Like many nicknames, the reverse applied, and the chief was actually tall.

McCauley and MacCauley are surnames in the English language. There are several etymologically unrelated origins for the names: all of which originated as patronyms in several Gaelic languages—Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Although the English-language surnames are ultimately derived from Gaelic patronyms, the English-language surnames, and the modern Gaelic-language forms do not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The Irish McCauley's originated in county Westmeath in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where at one time the area which is now Ballyloughnoe was once called "McGawley's Country, the scottish McCauleys are partly descended from the Irish McCauleys as the Irish moved to Scotland offered land by Robert the bruce" The English-language surnames are generally popular in certain parts of Ireland—both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. According to census records in the United States of America, "MCCAULEY" (McCauley) is a somewhat common surname, although "MACCAULEY" (MacCauley) is extremely rare.

Macaulay, McAuley, MacAuley, and Macauley are Scottish and Irish surnames. There are several etymological origins for the names: all of which originated as patronyms in Gaelic languages—Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Although these English-language (Anglicized) forms of the surnames are ultimately derived from Gaelic patronyms, they do not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The surname is quite common in Ireland, particularly in Ulster.

McMenamin is an Irish surname. In Gaelic it is rendered, Mac Meanman, meaning 'son of Meanma' a name meaning courageous or high spirited. It originated in County Donegal in the 13th century. The first written mention of the name is in 1303 in the 'Annals of Loch Cé' which records the deaths of Donnchadh Mac Meanman and Aedh Mac Meanman, grandsons of the Lector O'Domnhaill, the chieftain of Fanad, during a dynastic struggle within the Cenél Conaill. The McMenamins are a branch of the O'Donnells of Tyrconnell (Donegal) and are part of the Sil Lugdach, descendants of Lugaid mac Sétnai, the great-grandson of Conall Gulban. Like many discarded branches of noble families, the McMenamins sought advancement in the church evidenced by numerous mentions of McMenamin prelates in papal letters from the late 1300s to the late 1400s. They were supplanted in their home territory of Fanad by the Sweeneys and over the centuries became more distantly related to the royal line of the Cenél Conaill. One scholar describes the family as "...a discarded branch of the O'Donnell dynasty"

Clan MacGowan was an Irish-Scots clan which once occupied the area around the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, documented in the 1300s.

References

  1. Scots In Ulster Surnames Map, by the Ulster Historical Foundation
  2. "Parish of Saval | Lisburn.com".