Surname MacLinden - Meaning and Origin
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MacLinden: What does the surname MacLinden mean?
The last name MacLinden is of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic words Mac meaning son and Linden meaning a flax cloth. The name was most likely given as a nickname to someone who was associated with the flax industry.
The earliest record of this name dates back to the early 1400s in the ancient province of Galloway, Scotland. The surname is later found in records of the 1600s in the same region. It is thought to be of a tailoring family that were prominent in the tweed industry.
People with the MacLinden surname are associated with many distinct industries and practices. From farming, tailoring, and milling to fishing and weaving. This surname is interchangeable with the other families with similar spelling.
The meaning MacLinden is still relevant today as MacLinden’s remain associated with the flax industry with many tailoring, weaving, and other related businesses throughout Scotland and Great Britain.
Order DNA origin analysisMacLinden: Where does the name MacLinden come from?
The last name MacLinden is most commonly found in countries associated with the British Isles, particularly Scotland and Ireland. In particular, this surname is relatively prevalent among those of Scottish ancestry. Certain concentrations of the MacLinden name can be observed in Ireland, particularly in Dublin and counties Cavan, Cork, and Leitrim. The same is true in Scotland, where significant numbers of bearers of this surname live in cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Isle of Man also boasts a number of bearers of this surname.
The MacLinden surname is rarer in the United States, although it has been present in the country since the mid-nineteenth century. Large numbers of those of Scottish lineage arrived in the United States during and after the Industrial Revolution. Considering this, it is highly likely that the MacLinden name first arrived in the United States from Scotland and Ireland. In more recent history, a significant number of bearers of the MacLinden name have migrated to Australia, with several concentrations in the country's Southern states.
Variations of the surname MacLinden
MacLinden is a Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Giolla Fhaolain, meaning “son of the devoted follower of St. Swithin”. Variants of the name include MacLenden, MacLendon, MacLundin and McLundin. The name is also spelled in various ways, including MacLintin, Maclinten and MacLintin.
The origins of the surname can be found in the region of Galloway in southwestern Scotland, specifically in the area around where the River Cree rises. In some cases, the surname MacLinden is also found in Northern Ireland, reflecting the fact that, throughout history, there has been movement of people between the two countries.
Variants MacLenden and MacLendon are also found in other parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, particularly in those areas with large Northern Irish Protestant populations. In the town of Kilmarnock, for example, many of the MacLindens in this area are actually anglicized versions of MacLenden or MacLendon. Other variants of the surname are found in the Irish counties of Donegal, Fermanagh, Cavan and Monaghan.
The surname is often combined with prefixes such as O’ or Mc, or suffixes such as -een, -inch or -on. For example, the prefix O’McLundin is found in Donegal, while the suffix -een is very common for MacLinden in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The surname MacLinden is found both in Scotland and Ireland, but the variants MacLenden and MacLendon are more common in Northern Ireland, due to the large Northern Irish Protestant population. Variants and spellings of the name are also found throughout Ireland and Scotland, such as MacLintin, Maclinten and MacLintin. The prefixes O’ or Mc, or suffixes such as -een, -inch or -on, are common in various areas across the British Isles.
Famous people with the name MacLinden
- Mel MacLenden (boxer)
- Kevin MacLenden (footballer)
- Sandy MacLenden (ice hockey player)
- Mark McLinden (rugby league player)
- Jared MacLenden (actor)
- Jack MacLenden (film director)
- Liz McLinden (British actress)
- Ross MacLenden (musician)
- Barbara MacLinden (figure skater)
- Bradley McLinden (British actor)
- Duncan MacLenden (race car driver)
- John McLinden (author)
- Kal MacLenden (Australian rules footballer)