Surname MacMurchie - Meaning and Origin
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MacMurchie: What does the surname MacMurchie mean?
The last name MacMurchie is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic name MacMhuirich, which is derived from the Gaelic terms “Mac” (son) and “Mhuirich” (lord, master). MacMurchie is a patronymic name, and is traditionally a variant of the MacDonald clan name.
MacMurchie is a sept of Clan Donald, which is one of the oldest clans in the Scottish Highlands. Historically, Clan Donald is associated with the Lords of the Isles, a powerful maritime and land-based power during the Middle Ages. The first MacMurchie recorded in Scotland appeared in the 16th century, and the name has been widespread ever since.
MacMurchies are believed to have originated in the Kingdom of Fife, in the region of Scotland known as the Lowlands. Legend has it that they were part of a group of Scots who fled persecution and moved to the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides.
Today, the MacMurchie surname is typically found in East and Central Scotland, as well as in some parts of Canada and the United States. The name MacMurchie wields a sense of history, pride, and perseverance, which has remained as unchanged as the landscape from which it was born centuries ago.
Order DNA origin analysisMacMurchie: Where does the name MacMurchie come from?
The surname MacMurchie is most commonly associated with Scotland and Irish descent. It is believed to have originated as a variant of the Anglicized Scottish Gaelic surname MacMurchaidh (son of Murchadh). The surname is believed to have originated from the ancient Scottish Pictish Kingdom of the Menteith, which is located in the modern-day Stirling region in Scotland. Today, the MacMurchie surname is predominantly found in Scotland, particularly in the counties of Aberdeenshire, Argyll, and Angus. It is also found in northern England, especially in the Northumbria and Durham region, and in Northern Ireland. Records of the surname are also found in the United States, as many of its holders immigrated to the country in the 18th and 19th centuries in search of a better life.
The MacMurchie surname is still fairly common in areas of Scotland, Northern England, and Northern Ireland today. It is also common in the United States, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region. According to House of Names, there were over 1,000 people in the United States with the MacMurchie surname as of 2020. This makes it one of the most common Scottish-origin surnames in America today. There is a large community of MacMurchies living in the United States today, primarily in the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. The largest concentrations of the surname are in the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Variations of the surname MacMurchie
The surname MacMurchie is of Scottish origin and has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variants of the surname ‘MacMurchie’ include MacMurchy, MacMurcha, MacMurchy, MacMurphy, and MacMurchee.
The surname MacMurchie is most commonly spelled ‘MacMurchy’, which is derived from the Gaelic term ‘MacMurchaidh’, meaning ‘son of the sea lord’. This spelling is also a form of the surname ‘Murchison’, which was first used in Scotland in the 12th century and means ‘son of the sea lord’. It is also sometimes spelled as MacMurcha, MacMurchie, or MacMurphy.
Additional spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin include Mac Murchee, MacMurchi, MacMurchey, MacMurche, and MacMurchadha.
The surname MacMurchie is mainly found in Argyll and Bute, where the clan is thought to have originated from. It is also found in other areas of Scotland, such as the Isles of Skye and Harris, as well as in the English counties Devon and Derbyshire. The spelling variants and surnames of the same origin can be found in North America, Australia, and other countries with Scottish origins. It is even sometimes seen as ‘MacMurchy-Morrison’, which is a combination of the surnames ‘MacMurchy’ and ‘Morrison’.
Famous people with the name MacMurchie
- Beth MacMurchie: A Canadian actress and writer, known for her roles in Undercurrents, Dark Oracle, and Mrs. Foxworthy Investigates.
- Stewart MacMurchie: A Scottish diplomat, who served as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1987 to 1992.
- Jack MacMurchie: A British composer, most famous for his score to the film The Killing Fields, which won him an Academy Award for Best Original Music Score.
- Augustus MacMurchie: A Canadian painter and sketch artist, best known for his landscapes of the Rocky Mountains.
- Margo MacMurchie: A Canadian columnist and writer, best known for her book Age No Barrier: The Art Of Living Long and Well.
- Ewan MacMurchie: A Scottish actor, best known for his roles in Silent Witness, Holby City, and Casualty.
- David MacMurchie: A Scottish former footballer, who played for various teams across the United Kingdom and Europe.
- David W. MacMurchie: A Canadian professor of linguistics at the University of Toronto, known for his work in morphology and syntax.
- Fiona MacMurchie: A Scottish author and social media influencer, known for her popular blog and Instagram account.
- John MacMurchie: An English musician, most famous for his works with the British rock band Supertramp.