Surname McMechen - Meaning and Origin
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McMechen: What does the surname McMechen mean?
The surname McMechen is of Scottish origin. Like many Scottish surnames, it is derived from a patronymic name; in this case, the Gaelic "Mac Miadhachain", which means "son of Miadhachan”. Miadhachan itself is a diminutive form of "miadhach", meaning honorable. Therefore, the surname McMechen broadly translates to "son of the honorable one". The McMechen name would have been bestowed upon an individual to denote that they were the son of a person named Miadhachan. Over time, this name became hereditary and transformed into a family surname. It is important to remember that the spelling of surnames may have changed over centuries due to factors such as migration, anglicization, and phonetic shifts. Thus, the McMechen surname itself could appear in various forms in historical documents, including McMeekan, McMeeken, McMeekin, and others.
Order DNA origin analysisMcMechen: Where does the name McMechen come from?
The surname McMechen is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic word "Mac Miadhachain" which means 'Son of the honourable one'. The McMechen name originated from the ancient Dalriadan clans of Scotland's west coast and Hebrides islands. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Gillaspyk M'Maykane, dated circa 1350, during the reign of King David II of Scotland, 1329 - 1371.
Today, as with many surnames from Scotland, descendants of the McMechen lineage have spread out worldwide due to emigration over the centuries, predominantly to English-speaking countries. The surname is prevalent in the United States, particularly within the states that received heavy Scottish and Irish immigration such as the Mid-Atlantic states. Scottish surnames are also common in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The exact distribution of the McMechen name worldwide is difficult to determine due to variations in spelling and historical documentation.
Variations of the surname McMechen
The surname McMechen likely has Scottish or Irish origins, as the "Mc" prefix typically indicates. There could be various spellings of McMechen due to historical changes, regional accents, and translation from Gaelic to English. Some possible variants might include McMeekin, McMeeken, MacMechan, McMichen, McMechon, or McMecham.
In Scotland, McMechen is thought to be derived from the surname MacMiadhachain, which was anglicized to McMeekin and then possibly further transformed to McMechen.
The McMeekin and McMeeken surnames originate from Northern Ireland, particularly from County Antrim, meaning son of Miadhachan (honorable, good).
Furthermore, the McMechen surname might be a variant of McKechnie, which was originally Mac Eachainn in Gaelic, meaning son of Eachan.
Note that surname origins can be complex, so these are possibilities rather than certainties. Some families may have independently adopted the same or similar surnames without being related.
In the United States, variations could be influenced by phonetics and ease of pronunciation, such as McMitchen, or McMeechen. It's also possible to drop the Mc prefix entirely, resulting in names simple as Mechen or Mitchen.
Famous people with the name McMechen
- Rebecca McMechen: playwright, director, and television producer.
- Isaac McMechen: former mayor of McMechen, West Virginia.
- Kate McMechen: actress, most known for her roles in The Miracle Worker and Character Building.
- Jack McMechen: former Major League Baseball player.
- Curtis McMechen: NASCAR driver.
- Edward Brittingham McMechen: former United States Representative from West Virginia.
- Nathan McMechen: former United States Representative from West Virginia.
- Jean McMechen: former United States Ambassador to Luxembourg.
- Elizabeth McMechen: painter.
- Lawrence McMechen: former Canadian ice hockey player.
- Arland McMechen: American jazz pianist.
- David A. McMechen III: former American Harvard professor.