Surname MacMoran - Meaning and Origin
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MacMoran: What does the surname MacMoran mean?
The last name MacMoran is of Scottish origin, and is a patronymic last name derived from the name “MacMóráin”. The literal meaning of MacMóráin is “big chief". It is generally accepted that the MacMoran surname is of fairly recent origin, believed to be linked to the descendents of King Duncan I of Scotland who was killed in battle in 1040. The corresponding surname “Morrison” is also believed to come from this same source.
The MacMoran last name has an interesting history, beginning in ancient Scotland where it was first created by King Duncan I. From there, the name spread to other parts of Scotland and England. Later, in the 17th century, many people of Irish descent who were ejected from Ireland adopted the MacMoran surname.
In modern times, the surname MacMoran is most common in Scotland and Ireland. It is believed that there are approximately 1,000 people with the last name in Scotland alone, most of whom reside in the northeast of the country.
The name has also become popular in recent years among people of a variety of other nationalities. The pronunciation of the name can vary slightly depending on the county, but is typically pronounced “mak-mah-ran”.
Order DNA origin analysisMacMoran: Where does the name MacMoran come from?
The surname MacMoran is commonly found in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and countries with strong ties to the British Isles. It is also found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as these countries were British colonies until their independence. The MacMoran family was originally an Irish clan which is believed to have descended from the Irish royal family.
The MacMoran name is derived from the Gaelic Mac Murchadhan, meaning "son of Murchadh". The Murchadh in this instance was the 10th century High King of Ireland, Muirchertach mac Erca. The Irish and Scottish variant of the name is commonly seen as McMorran or McMoran.
In recent times, there has been a rise in "Mc-names" in many English-speaking countries. This is possibly due to the influence of Irish and Celtic culture which has spread throughout the world. For this reason, many people feel that the MacMoran surname is not as commonly seen as others.
Despite this, the surname MacMoran can still be found throughout the world where there are strong ties to the British Isles. In the United States, for example, the name is listed as the 6,871st most common surname in the 2020 census. It is also quite common in Canada, with the name being listed as the 5,068th most common surname in the 2016 census.
Variations of the surname MacMoran
MacMoran is an extremely rare variant of the Irish surname MacMurrough or MacMorogh. It is believed to be a variation of the Original Gaelic name of Mac Murchada, which means 'Son of Murchad'.
The common spelling for this surname is MacMurrough or MacMorogh. It is also known by variations such as McMurugh, MacMorrow/Morrow, and McMorrow.
In the Scottish-Gaelic language, the name can be spelled as MacMhorair.
The surname of MacMoran is also seen as MacMurran in Northern Ireland, and MacMorran in Scotland.
Other variations of the same surname are MagRory or MagRury, MacMurray, MacCorran, McRory, and McMurran.
The surname can also be found spelled as McMorrow, MacMorrow, or MacMourran. It is also known as MacMorran, MacMurron, and MacMerryn.
In the early versions of the MacMory family, the name was spelled as MacMoran or MacMuran. This is probably a variation of Moran and Morran, which were common Irish surnames in the 17thcentury.
It is also possible that the name could be a variation of MacMireran.
The variants of the name are also found as MacMore, McMoore, and McMorrey.
Overall, the MacMoran surname is a rare variation of the popular Gaelic and Irish surname of MacMurrough or MacMorogh. It is known by several variations, spellings, and surname variants, and is found in both Ireland and Scotland.
Famous people with the name MacMoran
- Shea MacMoran: professional hockey player for the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL.
- Rory MacMoran: Scottish singer-guitarist of the rock band Glasvegas.
- Sophie MacMoran: Australian actress, best known for playing Scarlett O’Connor in the television series Nashville.
- Dervla MacMoran: Irish author widely known for her travel books.
- Joe MacMoran: American television writer and producer best known for writing for the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and its spinoff How I Met Your Dad.
- Alison MacMoran: Scottish poet and writer of Poetry in Motion for BBC Radio 4.
- Tamara MacMoran: English author of fantasy and horror novels, short stories, and poetry.
- Moira MacMoran: Australian actress and model.
- Zack MacMoran: Scottish actor best known for playing the role of Daniel in the British television series Waterloo Road.
- Sean MacMoran: Canadian actor best known for playing the role of Scott Reed in television series Ghost Wars.