Surname McMeikine - Meaning and Origin

McMeikine: What does the surname McMeikine mean?

The surname McMeikine is of Scottish origin but its exact meaning is not fully recorded or understood. It likely derives from the Gaelic language, as the "Mc" or "Mac" prefix in Scottish or Irish surnames typically means "son of". This indicates that the name likely began as a patronymic, passed down from the original bearer's father. The second part of the surname, "Meikine", is harder to interpret. It might signify a specific location in Scotland or refer to a trade, as many surnames initially denoted a person's occupation or place of residence. However, without detailed historical or linguistic data, it's tough to provide a precise translation. Generally, Scottish surnames can provide insights into one's ancestors or familial history.

McMeikine: Where does the name McMeikine come from?

The surname McMeikine is of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic name "MacMhuirich," which means "son of the sea warrior." The MacMhuirichs were a professional bardic family, who served as hereditary poets to the Lords of the Isles in medieval Scotland. Their poetry has been recognized as some of the finest Gaelic poetry from the period.

However, the McMeikine variant is extremely rare and doesn't prominently appear in historical records. It's likely a derivative or misspelling of the more common names like McMeeking or MacMeekin, which share the same Gaelic roots.

In terms of its current prominence, due to its rarity, the surname McMeikine isn’t common in any specific geographic region today. Variants of the original surname can be traced back to particular areas in Scotland, especially in the Hebrides and Highlands. Additionally, many Scottish surnames have spread further afield due to historical events like the Highland Clearances, during which many Scots emigrated to places like North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Therefore, one might encounter versions of this name in such areas.

Variations of the surname McMeikine

The surname "McMeikine" originated from Scotland and is relatively rare. It might be connected to the surname McMeekin, which is more common and displays a typical Scottish prefix "Mc" which denotes "son of." Other variant spellings may include McMechen, McMechan or McMeeken, as well as MacMeikine, MacMeekin, MacMechen, or MacMechan.

In some instances, prefixes are dropped or altered, creating variations such as Meikine, Meekin, Mechen or Mechan. Sometimes the prefix may be replaced by "O" as in O’Meikine, O’Meekin, O’Mechen or O’Mechan.

Families often changed spellings upon emigration or due to regional pronunciation differences. The letter "k" in the middle of the name might also sometimes be spelled with a "ch," an "h," or an "gh," which often happens in the Scottish dialect. This could further result in names such as McMichan, McMichen, McMeechan, or MacMeechan.

Please be aware that these are educated guesses on possible variants, as the rare nature of the surname McMeikine makes definitive lineage and origin quite hard to trace- it's recommended to do an in-depth genealogy research for accurate data.

Famous people with the name McMeikine

• Angela McMeikin–Angela McMeikin is a former professional football player who represented Scotland in the Women's World Cup in 1999.
• Neil McMeikin: Neil McMeikin is a former professional cyclist who has multiple national championship medals.
• William McMeikin: William McMeikin is a professor of mathematics at the University of Michigan.
• Fiona McMeikin: Fiona McMeikin is an Olympic swimmer from Scotland who competed in the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics.
• Ross McMeikin: Ross McMeikin is a professional golf player who represented Scotland in the 2016 and 2018 Ryder Cup.
• Richard McMeikin: Richard McMeikin is an award-winning British sculptor best known for his creation of figures from British folklore.
• Iain McMeikin: Iain McMeikin is a Scottish journalist and editor who was the co-founder of The Herald newspaper.
• Bernice McMeikin: Bernice McMeikin is a Scottish actress known for her roles in various theater productions.
• Stewart McMeikin: Stewart McMeikin is a Scottish musician and composer who is a member of the rock band Idlewild.
• Ann McMeikin: Ann McMeikin is an Australian writer and illustrator whose works have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers.

Other surnames

McMeikin