Surname McCambridge - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McCambridge: What does the surname McCambridge mean?
McCambridge is a surname of Irish origin. It's an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Con Bhríde, which means "son of the follower of St. Brigid". The prefix "Mac" typically denotes "son of", while "Con" is a form of "cu", meaning "hound" or "wolf" and "Bhríde" refers to "Brigid", a female Irish saint. Therefore, people with the surname McCambridge may have had an ancestor who was a devotee of Saint Brigid. It's important to remember that surnames were often based on a person's job, their father's name, a notable characteristic, or even a geographical feature. While this gives some idea about the original McCambridge, it doesn't represent every individual with this surname today. Some variations of this surname include McConbrie, MacBrìghde, and others. The surname spreads mainly in Ireland, particularly in the province of Ulster, but it can also be found in other English-speaking countries due to the Irish diaspora. Some notable people with this surname include Mercedes McCambridge, an American actress, and Jim McCambridge, a Northern Irish footballer.
Order DNA origin analysisMcCambridge: Where does the name McCambridge come from?
The surname McCambridge has Irish origins, specifically from the Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh family. The prefix "Mac" signifies "son of." The name itself has been interpreted to mean "son of Amhalghadh," who was a 10th-century chieftain of the Oriel, a people from the ancient kingdom of Uladh encompassing northern Ireland and parts of western Scotland. The name was originally most common in the Irish county of Armagh.
Over time, with the waves of Irish diaspora, particularly in the 19th century due to the Great Famine, it has spread to various parts of the world, primarily English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, where it remains fairly common today. Despite this dispersion, McCambridge remains a predominantly Irish name and is most common in Northern Ireland.
Variations of the surname McCambridge
The surname McCambridge derives from the Gaelic name Mac Amhalghaidh, which means a son of Amhalghaidh, an old personal name now rendered in various forms like McCambridge, MacAmbrose, Macanward, and more. In Ireland, the name is mainly found in the province of Ulster, specifically in counties Antrim and Down.
In some cases, the prefix Mac gets dropped, and the name appears as just 'Cambridge.' Another common anglicization is MacCambridge. Names like McCambidge and McCombridge may also be encountered, although these are less common, and may represent phonetic spellings or transcription errors.
As with many Irish names, McCambridge can sometimes appear without the prefix 'Mc' or 'Mac', leading to variants such as Cambridge and Cambridgeson.
Spellings of McCambridge may also differ due to regional accents and pronunciation. The combination of cultural interpretation, translation from Gaelic to English, and phonetic spelling often results in numerous alternative spellings of surnames of Irish origin.
While there aren't any particularly recognized female variants of the surname, the rules of Irish grammar imply that Ni Amhalghaidh or Nic Amhalghaidh would be the forms used historically for a daughter of the McCambridge family.
With all these variants, individuals looking into their family history or trying to locate ancestors may need to consider checking several different spellings of the surname.
Famous people with the name McCambridge
- Mercedes McCambridge: American actress, radio drama performer and Academy Award winner
- John McCambridge: Major League Baseball pitcher
- Joe McCambridge: AFL/NFL football player
- Charlie McCambridge: professional ice hockey player
- Kevin McCambridge: public radio host and producer
- William McCambridge: English lawyer and politician
- Jamie McCambridge: singer and songwriter
- Joseph McCambridge: co-Founder of the Waverly Oil Company
- Joseph McCambridge: snooker player
- Dee McCambridge: award-winning poet