Surname MacPetrie - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
MacPetrie: What does the surname MacPetrie mean?
The surname MacPetrie is of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic term "Mac Pheadair", which means "Son of Peter." The name Peter itself is derived from the Greek word "Petros" meaning "rock". Thus, MacPetrie refers to someone who is considered a strong, dependable figure, much like a rock - which is what Peter signifies. Over time, through usage and phonetical changes, the spelling has evolved into its current form of MacPetrie. This name, like other names prefixed by 'Mac' or 'Mc', are patronymics, meaning they were initially used to denote sonship. Such names were used widely in Scotland and Ireland. It should also be noted that surnames as a concept were not common until the middle ages, hence such names which denote lineage served to distinguish one individual from another. Overall, MacPetrie is a last name steeped in cultural and historical significance.
Order DNA origin analysisMacPetrie: Where does the name MacPetrie come from?
The surname MacPetrie is of Scottish origin. It stems from the Gaelic personal name 'Pàdraig', which is the equivalent of 'Patrick'. The 'Mac' prefix means 'son of', hence MacPetrie translates to 'son of Patrick'. Like many surnames that have Mac attached, it represents familial relationships, often originating in the highlands of northern Scotland.
The surname is not particularly common today and, as is the case with other surnames of Scottish origin, it may have undergone several changes in spelling over centuries. Possible variations include MacPhee, MacPhee, MacFie, and others.
Today, this name might be slightly more common in countries that experienced significant Scottish immigration in past centuries, such as Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. However, precise current geographical prevalence is hard to ascertain due to historical spelling variations, migration, and the general dispersion of the name. Researchers or individuals interested in this surname's particular occurrence are encouraged to refer to a database of surnames, like the Census Bureau, genealogy websites, or other demographic resources, for the most accurate information.
Variations of the surname MacPetrie
The surname MacPetrie is of Scottish origin and has different variants and spellings based on geographical locations and dialects. Some variants of the name include MacPetrish, MacPetrick, MacPatrice, and MacPartie.
Spellings that are used in English-speaking countries are McPetrie, McPetre, McPetree, McPetrey, and McPetry. Given the phonetic nature of the Scottish language, the surnames could also be spelled McPatrie, McPettry or McPettridge.
Commonly, the 'Mac' or 'Mc' prefix is dropped, leading to variants like Petrie, Petrey, Petre, Petree and others.
However, it should be understood that all these names, while interchangeable, may not necessarily mean that families with these surnames are directly related to each other, as surnames could have been adopted for a variety of reasons in history.
There are also many other surnames of the same origin (Scottish) such as McAlpin, MacGregor, MacIntosh, etc. which share the 'Mac' or 'Mc' prefix used to indicate 'son of' in the Gaelic language.
Famous people with the name MacPetrie
- Jim McPetrie: a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Dundee United in the Scottish Premier League.
- John McPetrie: a Scottish international footballer who plays for Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premier League.
- Ed McPetrie: a former Northern Irish international footballer who played for Glentoran in the Irish Premier Division.
- Paddy McPetrie: a former professional Northern Irish footballer who played for Linfield in the Irish Premier Division.
- Ian McPetrie: a former Scottish football forward who played for Partick Thistle in the Scottish First Division.
- Stephen McPetrie: a retired Irish footballer who had a long and successful career in the Irish League.
- Jimmy McPetrie: a Scottish professional footballer who played for Hamilton Academical in the Scottish Premier League.
- Jazz McPetrie: a professional Scottish footballer who plays for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.
- Jack McPetrie: a Scottish professional footballer who is currently playing for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
- David McPetrie: a former Scottish footballer who played for Falkirk in the Scottish Premier League.