Surname MacCavish - Meaning and Origin
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MacCavish: What does the surname MacCavish mean?
The surname MacCavish is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic elements "Mac" meaning "son of", and "Thamhais", a personal name. The original form "MacThamhais" was anglicized over time to become "MacCavish". This surname is quite rare and principally found in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands. It's important to note that the meanings of surnames can sometimes be speculative, as they have evolved over centuries and their original meanings can be lost to time. It's fairly common for surnames to be based on the names of ancestors, which appears to be the case with MacCavish. Hence, the broader meaning of the surname would be "son of Thamhais" or “descendant of Thamhais". Variations of the surname include Maccavish, Maccuish, and McCavish. The original holder of the surname was likely the son or descendant of a man named Thamhais.
Order DNA origin analysisMacCavish: Where does the name MacCavish come from?
The last name MacCavish is a common surname today in Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man. It is thought to come from the Gaelic "Mac a' Chaimh", which translates to "son of the stonemason" or "son of Caomh", Caomh being a personal name which was derived from caomh or "kind or gentle."
The MacCavish family can be traced back to Clan Chattan, a group of Highland clans who lived in the area of Inverness. The surname is believed to have originated there. The first known record of the name dates to 1219 when Gilurst MacCavish was recorded as a witness in a charter relating to land in Inverness.
It is likely that various branches of the MacCavish family emigrated over the centuries from Scotland. Today, the surname MacCavish can be found throughout the British Isles, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
It is most common in the Shetland Isles and the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, Ireland, particularly Belfast, Galway, Westmeath County, and Donegal, and in the Isle of Man. In Canada it is the 104th most common surname and is particularly common in Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Overall, the name MacCavish is most common in Scotland and Ireland, with significant numbers also found in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Variations of the surname MacCavish
The MacCavish surname is an Anglicized version of the Scottish Gaelic Mac a'Mhaoise, which translates to son of Alasdair or son of Alexander. This surname originates from Scotland, where the Clan MacCavish was historically based, and has been variously spelled and subject to variations in the centuries since its adoption into the English language.
Some of the variants and spellings of MacCavish include MacCavish, Macausland, MacCausland, McCausland, McCauslane, McCauslan, McCauslin, McCawish, MacCawsish, McCawese, McCausish, Macaus, MacCavish, MacKean, MacKee, MakEwan, MakKeown, McKewan, MacKewen, McConnell and McKinnon.
Surnames of similar origin to MacCavish include MacGillivray, MacAlister, MacMillan, MacDonald, MacInnes, MacNab, MacRae, MacGregor, MacLeod and MacNeish.
The variations of MacCavish illustrate the complexities of identifying origin and spelling of surnames in Scotland. As immigration increased, many families changed their surname spelling in order to better fit into their new environments. Thus, interrelated families may have similar surnames, but minor variations may exist that nonetheless represent the same origin. For example, McCausland and MacCausland are relatively common variations of MacCavish, but may ultimately derive from the same root surname.
Famous people with the name MacCavish
- Fiona MacCavish: Scottish poet and critic
- Cameron MacCavish: Canadian actor
- Derek MacCavish: Former NBA player and coach
- Ross MacCavish: Scottish football player and manager
- Bobby MacCavish: Scottish footballer
- Sean MacCavish: Former American ice hockey player
- John MacCavish: Former Australian rules footballer
- Alex MacCavish: Canadian-born entrepreneur and philanthropist
- Will MacCavish: British actor
- Drew MacCavish: Scottish singer-songwriter