Surname MacAnulty - Meaning and Origin

MacAnulty: What does the surname MacAnulty mean?

The last name MacAnulty is of Scottish and Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic Mac an Mhaoil, meaning ‘son of the bald one’. The name was first found in Scotland around the 1200s during the Norman invasion. It was common at the time for the invaders to Anglicize native Gaelic names, with MacAnulty being the Anglicized form of Mac an Mhaoil.

The MacAnulty family was part of the Clan Chattan and descended from the original progenitor of the name, Malcolm Comyn. Malcolm was the Great Chamberlain of Scotland and protector of the King, and shortly after his death in 1289, his descendants began to use the surname MacAnulty.

Over the years, members of the MacAnulty family spread to all parts of Scotland, with some emigrating to other parts of the world, and the name continues to be a popular one to this day.

At the same time, the name has been passed down through the generations, often with MacAnulty taking on other spellings in different cultures, such as McConnell, MacIntyre, MacIntire, and McAntee. This is due to the fact that it was also perfectly acceptable in early Scotland for members of the same family or clan to use different spellings of their name.

In any case, the MacAnulty surname continues to be a source of pride among its descendants, many of whom can trace their family history all the way back to Malcolm Comyn.

MacAnulty: Where does the name MacAnulty come from?

The last name MacAnulty is most commonly found in Ireland, specifically in the Ulster region. MacAnulty is an Irish surname of Gaelic origins, which is derived from the Gaelic word "Mac Conulaidh" which means "son of Conulaidh". In the 16th Century, many of the MacAnultys were landowners in Antrim and Tyrone in Ulster, where the surname is still most commonly found. It is estimated that over 1200 people currently bear the surname MacAnulty in Ireland.

The surname has also spread to other parts of the world. There are some MacAnultys in Scotland, Australia, the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. The population is much lower outside of Ireland, though the surname still exists in those countries. There is also a population of MacAnultys in India, where there are over 300 people currently who carry the name.

MacAnulty is a unique name and it appears that the vast majority of people who carry the name have Irish roots. In today's globalized world, the MacAnultys have spread far beyond their Irish origins, but Ireland remains the place where the vast majority of the population of MacAnultys can be found.

Variations of the surname MacAnulty

MacAnulty is a prominent Scottish and Irish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac an Ultaigh, which means 'son of the Ulsterman'. The forms of the surname have many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include MacAnulty, MacAnulty, MacAulay, MacAuley, MacAullie, MacCauley, MacCawley, MacNulty, MacNultie, MacNulty, and McAnulty.

Variants of MacAnulty include MacAuley, which is similar in pronunciation, but adds an extra letter -a-, as in MacAulay. A more Anglicized version of the surname is MacNulty, which adds 'N' for a soft /ŋ/ sound rather than a hard /k/ sound. The name is also sometimes spelled with an ending of -ie, like in the variant MacNultie.

The variants MacCauley, McAnulty and MacCawley are derived from the old Irish form MacCathmhaoil. This translates from Irish-Gaelic as 'son of the battle prince'. This same origin is seen in the variants MacCanally and McAnally.

MacAnulty is also sometimes spelled MacAnuil. This differs from MacAnulty only by the two 'l's which are dropped in favour of having the letter 'i' take their place instead.

The use of MacAnulty as a first name is also known to occur. It is an old Irish given name meaning 'son of the Ulsterman'. Variants include MacAnally, MacAnluan, and MacNulty.

In short, the surname MacAnulty has prevalence throughout Scotland and Ireland with variants and derivatives proving popular in England, Canada, Australia, and the United States. Variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include MacAnulty, MacAulay, MacAuley, MacAullie, MacCauley, MacCawley, MacNulty, MacNultie, MacNulty, and McAnulty.

Famous people with the name MacAnulty

• Sean MacAnulty: Canadian actor best known for playing roles in TV series like Altered Carbon and Mighty Mike.
• John MacAnulty: British author and playwright.
• Niall MacAnulty: Irish Sculptor and print-maker.
• Proudfoot Macanulty: A Canadian Painter famous for his landscapes and seascapes.
• Colin MacAnulty: Canadian Professor of Psychology.
• Paul MacAnulty: Scottish theatre director.
• Henry MacAnulty: Scottish entomologist, zoologist, botanist and naturalist.
• Laurence MacAnulty: Irish actor who played the lead role in the movie Dirty Kiss.
• Jenny MacAnulty: Australian actress known for her roles in films such as The Matrix Reloaded and S.W.A.T.
• Shane MacAnulty: Australian actor known for his role in the TV series McLeod’s Daughters.

Other surnames

MacAnulla