Surname MacElshinder - Meaning and Origin
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MacElshinder: What does the surname MacElshinder mean?
The last name MacElshinder is an Anglicized form of the original Gaelic Mac geall sendear, which roughly translates to “son of the hound’s walker”. This suggests the family originally descended from a professional hunter or possibly an animal trainer. The Gaelic Mac geall sendear is comprised of two elements — the prefix Mac, which means ‘son of’, and the second element geall sendear, which comes from the words geall, meaning “hound”, and seindear, meaning “walker”. The term “walker” may also suggest someone who guided hunters and their dogs in pursuit of game.
In early Scotland, the MacElshinder surname likely occupied a place in the hierarchical order of society as a high-status family of hunters, warriors, stewards, and landowners. It is typical that a family of this stature would have possessed more than one surname in its lineage, and this may explain why the name has evolved over time.
The name has been in existence since the 16th century, and descendants of the MacElshinder family can still be found in Scotland today, as well as in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The name now usually takes the form of MacElshinder or MacElshinder-Fife. It is thought that the latter variation was derived from the famous Fife Clan, and most likely indicates a presence of some form of kinship with this influential family.
Order DNA origin analysisMacElshinder: Where does the name MacElshinder come from?
The last name MacElshinder is derived from an old Irish surname Mac Gille Sheáin, which is most common in Ulster in Northern Ireland today. The MacElshinder name is also found in Scotland and in some areas in lowland Scotland.
Due to emigration, this name can be found in other parts of the world, including in the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Since the 19th century, there have been many Irish immigrants to the US, Canada and Australia, and so the MacElshinder name is found in these countries as well.
In the US, MacElshinder is most commonly found in the Midwestern and Northeastern states, particularly in Minnesota and New York. In Canada, MacElshinder is common in provinces such as Manitoba, British Columbia, and Ontario. In Australia, the surname is found mainly in the South and Eastern states.
Given the wide dispersal of the MacElshinder surname, it is difficult to determine the population concentration of this name today. It is possible to search US census data for surnames, and according to this source, the MacElshinder name appears 287 times in the US in 2020.
Despite its widespread distribution, the presence of the last name MacElshinder is most common in the areas of its origin, that is, Ulster in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Canada, Australia, and the US.
Variations of the surname MacElshinder
The surname MacElshinder has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These include MacElvinder, MacElvender, MacElvener, MacElender, McElshinder, McElvinder, McElvender, McElvener, and McElender. It is believed that this surname is of Scottish descent, and may have originated in Ulster, Ireland.
MacElshinder is a derivative of the Scottish surname MacAlastair. The Gaelic version of the name is “MacAlasdair” which literally translates to “son of Alexander”. It is likely that some members of the clan adopted the form MacElshinder, making this a reasonable connection to the popular Gaelic name.
The variants of MacElshinder are also derived from the same root as other popular Scottish surnames such as MacAlister, MacAlastair, and MacAlister. This branch of the MacAlastair clan was probably derived from the ancient territories of Angus in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The spelling of the surname MacElshinder also varies from the original MacAlastair. The ‘sh’ in the word is replaced with the ‘lv’, and depending on the area of Scotland, the ‘e’ in the word may also be replaced with an ‘a’. This is indicative of the fact that different regions throughout the country have different dialects and spelling conventions.
Other surnames of the same origin include MacElvinder, MacElvender, MacElvener, and MacElender, as well as McElshinder, McElvinder, McElvender, McElvener, and McElender. This is likely due to the fact that when families immigrated to different countries some members chose to change the spelling of their surname in order to reflect the culture of their new home.
Famous people with the name MacElshinder
- Zac MacEldowney: Professional surfer, three-time world champion
- Carly MacEldowney: Rock and roll singer-songwriter
- Freddy MacEldowney: Award-winning independent film director
- Andrea MacEldowney: Olympic figure skater, silver medalist
- Robin MacEldowney: Acclaimed children’s author
- Ryane MacEldowney: Country music star
- Rodney MacEldowney: Rap star
- Kit MacEldowney: Blues and rock musician
- Emily MacEldowney: International fashion model
- Dylan MacEldowney: Broadway actor