Surname Maginnis - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
Maginnis: What does the surname Maginnis mean?
The last name Maginnis is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "Mag Aonghusa," which translates to "son of Angus." Angus or Aonghusa was a Celtic god typically associated with youth, love, and beauty. Thus, the surname Maginnis essentially symbolizes the descendants of this Celtic deity. As with many surnames that span centuries and geographic regions, the spelling has evolved over time, resulting in various forms such as MacInnes, McInnis, and McGinnis. Despite its common association with Ireland, the name has spread across the world due to factors such as migration and has become prevalent in countries such as Scotland and Canada. Like many other family names, the practice of using these names began as an easy way to identify individuals by their family or place of origin. While the name Maginnis doesn't carry a particular symbolic meaning, its historical and cultural associations with Ireland and the Celtic god Aonghusa form a link to the past.
Order DNA origin analysisMaginnis: Where does the name Maginnis come from?
The surname Maginnis has origins in Ireland. It is believed to have been derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Mag Aonghusa," which means "son of Angus." The name Angus itself means "strength," referring to the Celtic god Aongus who was related to love and youth.
The Maginnis family resided in the county of Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, although they later dispersed to other parts of Ireland due to various socio-political factors. The name Maginnis has several variations, including Guinness, Magennis, and Maguiness, among others.
Today, the surname Maginnis is found in numerous countries due to the widespread Irish diaspora, notably in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Among these, the United States has a particularly high prevalence of the Maginnis surname. Nonetheless, the surname remains relatively rare compared to other surnames.
Variations of the surname Maginnis
The surname Maginnis has its roots in the Gaelic language and comes from the Irish clan name "Mag Aonghusa" or "MacAonghusa", meaning "son of Angus". This has led to numerous variations, alternative spellings and surnames of the same origin due to phonetic translations, regional dialects and Anglicization.
Some of the variants and alternative spellings include: McGuinness, McGinness, Magennis, McGinnis, McInnis, McInnes, MacInnes, McGinness, M’Ginnis, Meginness, Meginnis, and more.
Interestingly, the alternative spelling McGuinness is more common, especially in Ireland. The "Mc" or "Mac" prefix means "son of" while the "ginnis" or "guinness" is a variation of Angus, a popular Celtic name. The variations often occurred due to changes in pronunciation and spelling over time, influenced by different dialects and languages.
Furthermore, it’s also common for the surname to be spelled without the prefix, resulting in variations such as Ginnis, Guinness or Innes.
Surname variants are common in Irish names as they were often translated phonetically into English, leading to a wide variety of spellings of the same original name.
Famous people with the name Maginnis
- Kirstin Maginnis: American actor and stunt woman
- Peter Maginnis: Professional cricket player and coach
- Olga Maginnis: Russian opera singer and soprano
- Thomas Maginnis: American actor, writer and producer
- Stephen Maginnis: American film director and producer
- Sally Maginnis: Canadian author
- Elizabeth Maginnis: British author
- William Maginnis: Irish poet and playwright
- Tim Maginnis: Scottish rock musician
- Kenneth Maginnis: Northern Irish politician
- John Maginnis: Former contributor for the Times-Picayune newspaper
- Patrick Maginnis: actor
- Mike Maginnis: American drummer
- Ralph Maginnis: American painter
- Tina Maginnis: American painter