Surname Mac Gilmichael - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
Mac Gilmichael: What does the surname Mac Gilmichael mean?
The last name Mac Gilmichael is of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic name Mac Gille Mhicheil, which translates to "son of the servant of St. Michael".
In old Gaelic traditions, it was common to identify oneself as the follower or servant of a saint, lending a religious significance to the surname. The "Mac" prefix means "son of", often used in surnames to denote lineage.
St. Michael is an archangel in Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions, known as a warrior saint, who is often depicted as slaying a dragon. In Roman Catholicism, he is considered as the patron saint of the warrior.
So, last name Mac Gilmichael symbolizes a lineage attached to religious servitude to St. Michael, embodying qualities like protection, courage, and strength. However, it's worth noting that surnames have evolved over centuries and may not always reflect the exact lineage or its original meaning.
Order DNA origin analysisMac Gilmichael: Where does the name Mac Gilmichael come from?
The surname Mac Gilmichael has Celtic origins and is predominantly recognized as an Irish or Scottish last name. "Mac" in Gaelic means "son of," indicating that the carrier of such a name is the descendant of a person named Gilmichael. This way of forming surnames is common in Celtic cultures and similar to the "O'" prefix seen in many Irish names.
As for its current predominance, the exact numbers or geographical concentration of the Mac Gilmichael surname isn't specified in existing surname databases or census records. Generally, people with Celtic last names can be found globally due to historical migration patterns. However, assuming its origins, there could be a larger presence of individuals with the Mac Gilmichael surname in areas with a significant Celtic diaspora such as Ireland, Scotland, or countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, where many Irish and Scottish people immigrated during the 19th and 20th centuries. Please note that this is an estimation as there isn't definitive data on the current distribution of the Mac Gilmichael surname.
Variations of the surname Mac Gilmichael
The surname Mac Gilmichael is Gaelic in origin. It appears to be a compound of the popular Gaelic prefix 'Mac' meaning 'son of' and 'Gilmichael', which is perhaps a variant of the Gaelic personal name 'Gille Mìcheil' meaning 'Servant of [Saint] Michael'.
Variants and spellings of the surname may include spellings without the intervening space or with the Anglicised 'Mc' prefix such as: MacGilmichael, McGilmichael, MacGillmichael, McGillmichael, MacGillemichael, McGillemichael. As with many surnames of Gaelic origin, prefixes may sometimes be dropped altogether, further variants may include Gilmichael, Gillmichael or Gillemichael.
Some other possible variants could take the translation 'Servant of [Saint] Michael' more literally e.g., Servant, Serveson, Michaelson, Michaelservant, Michaelserve.
There may also be surnames born from the abbreviation of the original surname or from phonetic re-spellings according to local dialects and accents.
It's worth noting that Mac Gilmichael is quite a unique and rare surname. The surname itself doesn't seem to have common variants unlike more prevalent surnames. Therefore, while the suggestions above are possible variants, they may not be in practical use.
Famous people with the name Mac Gilmichael
- Ian MacGillivray: notable actor who is has appeared in movies such as The Whistleblower, It's Only the End of the World, and Angel and the Badman.
- Jill MacGillivray: film editor who has worked on productions such as The Monster Squad, Grand Canyon, Misery, and The Big Lebowski.
- Bruce MacGillivray: artist who has painted murals for a variety of clients, such as Universal Studios, Rockwell International, MGM Grand, and more.
- Andrew MacGillivray: professor and computer scientist at the University of British Columbia.
- Matthew MacGillivray: notable musician and jazz composer who was an integral part of the funk and jazz scenes in Los Angeles in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Lauren MacGillivray: writer and editor at Design Milk, a magazine dedicated to modern design.
- Nancy MacGillivray: former nurse who served as the first executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
- Malcolm MacGillivray: prominent Scottish advocate who served as editor of the Scots Calendar, the first official collection of laws of Scotland.
- Dan MacGillivray: contemporary Scottish sculptor, whose works focus on the human form and its relationship to nature.
- Anna MacGillivray: art historian who has written several books, such as Art in Renaissance Italy, and A History of Italian Renaissance Art.