Surname McPhayden - Meaning and Origin
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McPhayden: What does the surname McPhayden mean?
McPhayden is a surname of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Mac Phàidin, which is composed of two elements: "mac", meaning "son", and "Páidín", a diminutive of "Páid", which means "patrician" or "noble". The Gaelic version of the surname was occasionally spelt MacFàidhin, and it is likely that the anglicized version of it has been altered from Fàidhin to Phàidin due to a mishearing of the F as a P.
The 'Mc' prefix indicates that the name was acquired by the original settler who adopted it to show his allegiance to the Clan chieftain or leader.
The Clan with which the surname is associated is uncertain, as the Mac Phàidin family might have been an independent group who simply adopted the prefix in the same way as most other early settlers did, to reflect their associations with their home territories. They may, however, have been allied to a branch of the Campbell, MacDonell, or Campbell families.
The surname McPhayden is found mainly in the Scottish highlands, with a few members of the family having migrated to areas around the world, particularly in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
In modern times, the surname McPhayden represents a proud family with a proud origin. It serves as a reminder of the strong bonds of kinship that define the Scottish highlanders, and of the struggles faced by new settlers in an unfamiliar land.
Order DNA origin analysisMcPhayden: Where does the name McPhayden come from?
The surname McPhayden is most commonly found in mainland Europe, particularly in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. It is fairly scarce in the British Isles, although there are some families with the name in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
McPhayden is believed to be derived from the Gaelic Mac Phaidin. In Irish, the literal translation of the name means ‘son of Patrick’. The name itself does not refer to a specific clan, rather it was a generic name given to the children of parents who identified themselves as being of the ‘Fidhin’ tribe.
In Germany, the surname McPhayden is often found amongst the Mennonite population, descendants of those who migrated from the Netherlands in the 16th century. In the Netherlands, the name is found in Records from as early as the 13th century.
In France, McPhayden is found mainly in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in the north of the country. France also has the highest number of families with this surname outside of Europe, primarily in wounded soldiers who had served with the British or allied forces during World War I and II.
The majority of McPhaydens in the United States with a direct lineage from Europe arrived in the 19th century. Today, the majority of McPhaydens in the United States are found in the Midwest region and along the Mid-Atlantic stretch on the east coast.
Variations of the surname McPhayden
The surname McPhayden is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic surname Mac a' Pheadain, which can also be written as MacPhaden, MacPhayden, MacPheden, MacFayden and MacFaden. The prefix Mac means “son of”, while the root of the name derives from the Gaelic word pheadan, which means “between two rivers” and refers to the location of the family’s ancestral home.
The name McPhayden is also known to have taken various alternate spellings throughout the centuries, which have been mediated according to the language spoken in a particular region or country. These spellings can range from MacFaeden, MacFaidhin, McFadden, Mcfay, McFey, McPhae and McFayden to MacPhedin, McPhee, Mcfee, McFedden, McFadzean, McFaygin, MacFedin, McPheid, McFiddan, McFizan and McFizzan.
Variant spellings of the name McPhayden or MacPheadin include MacFaddan, McPhayin, McPeggan, McPhegen, MacFettin, MacFiddin, MacFizem, McFaetin, McFeagen, MacFoggan, McPhoward and MacPhewett.
Most of the variants of the McPhayden surname are found in regions of Scotland, particularly those within the former counties of Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness, and Perth. It is also possible to find variants of McPhayden surname in Ireland and within other countries of the British Isles, as people from Scotland who emigrated tended to bring their surnames with them.
The variants of the McPhayden or MacPheadin surname are interlinked with other Irish or Scottish surnames, as families with the same root name can also bear the surnames of MacFie, McAfee, MacGeachy, McFay, MacPhee, McPaepy, McFie and McFee.
Famous people with the name McPhayden
- Isaac McPhayden: Scottish footballer who won the 1906-07 Scottish Cup with Celtic.
- Kelly McPhayden: American actress known for her role in the film "A Simple Favor".
- Richard McPhayden: American actor known for roles in the television series "Life Is Wild" and "The Mentalist".
- Michael McPhayden: American comic book writer who wrote the series "G.I. Joe".
- Barbara McPhayden: American writer and producer specializing in non-fiction and children's television.
- Douglas McPhayden: Canadian actor who appeared in the television series "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "Fear Itself".
- Karen McPhayden: American poet and writer who won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
- William McPhayden: United States Navy officer and aviator who served as commander of Cruiser Squadron 20 during World War I.
- Neil McPhayden: British actor known for his roles in the television series "Peaky Blinders" and "The Bill".
- Chris McPhayden: British singer-songwriter and musician known for his single "Love Is".