Surname McGilpin - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McGilpin: What does the surname McGilpin mean?
The surname McGilpin is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Giolla Phéin", which translates to "son of the servant of the bright (holy) one". This name could have originally been a patronymic surname indicating religious devotion within the family. Like many Gaelic names, it would have been Anglicized over the years, resulting in a variety of spellings including McGilpin, Gilpin, Kilpin, and others. Each of these surnames might trace back to the same original "Mac Giolla Phéin". It is also important to note that the regions where these surnames became most prominent were in Ulster province and counties Sligo and Leitrim. However, today people with the surname McGilpin, like many with Irish heritage, can be found all over the world. As with all surnames, it doesn't necessarily infer any specific traits or characteristics. It simply serves to identify familial lines and heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisMcGilpin: Where does the name McGilpin come from?
The surname McGilpin is of Irish origin. It is derived from MacGiolla Fionn, which in Irish Gaelic means "son of the servant of (the) fair (one)". It's a patronymic surname, which means it is based on a male family member's name, in this case, the father or grandfather.
Like many traditional Irish names, the original Gaelic form underwent significant changes when it was anglicised. Now, different variants of this surname are seen, including Gillpin, Kilpin, and Gipin, to name a few.
As with other surnames of Irish origin, McGilpin is found amongst the world's diaspora of people with Irish ancestry. Therefore, its prevalence is highest in countries where Irish people have emigrated in large numbers.
Today, the surname McGilpin is most common in the United States, especially in states where Irish descendants settled, and somewhat common in England. It's also found, albeit in smaller numbers, in countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The surname, however, is not very common in Ireland today. It should be noted that the frequency of the surname can vary significantly because of spelling alterations.
Variations of the surname McGilpin
The surname McGilpin is of Irish and Scottish origin, primarily associated with the regions of Ulster and Galloway. It appears in several spelling variants and associated names due to geographical distributions and changing dialects over time.
Some of the most common spellings include McGilpin, Gilpin, MacGilpin, McGillpin, and occasionally McGilp. Mac in the surname signifies 'son of,' so someone named MacGilpin would be 'son of Gilpin.' Similarly, the prefix 'Mc,' which is an abbreviation for Mac, also implies 'son of,' hence McGilpin would be 'son of Gilpin.'
In Scotland, particularly in Galloway, the name Gilpin evolved into Gelphin and Gilp. There are also related surnames like Filpin, Kilpin, and Gilpyn, resulting from both phonetic and regional variations.
The different spellings and name variants were also influenced by various factors such as immigrations, illiteracy, phonetics, translations, and clerical errors.
The Gilpin surname also has potential associations with the Old French 'Guillepin,' the Middle English 'Golfin,' and the Anglo-Saxon 'Gylpin,' all of which could have potentially contributed to the various spellings and variants we see today. However, it is important to note that although these surnames may have similar spellings, they do not necessarily share the same origin or meaning.
Famous people with the name McGilpin
- Tony McGilpin:Current Mental Health Correspondent for BBC News
- Phil McGilpin: British Actor
- Kirsty McGilpin: Soccer Player
- Moya McGilpin: Television Writer and Producer
- Harri McGilpin: Painter
- Charles McGilpin: US Air Force and Astronaut
- Valerie McGilpin: Irish Uilleann Pipemaker
- Tristan McGilpin: Former Tour Manager for the Scottish rock band Runrig
- Elvis McGilpin: South African Artist
- Dabid McGilpin: Former President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
- George McGilpin: former Kentucky State Senator
- Niamh McGilpin: Irish Author
- Robyn McGilpin: Australian Television Presenter and Actress
- James McGilpin: author of the posthymous novel "Amazon's Odyssey"
- Jean McGilpin: American novelist
- Glynn McGilpin: Australian Lawyer and Social Worker
- Dan McGilpin: founding member of Big Table Studios
- Laura McGilpin: American documentarian
- James McGilpin: 19th-century Irish historian
- Leo McGilpin: British Music Producer