Surname McPhee - Meaning and Origin
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McPhee: What does the surname McPhee mean?
The last name McPhee is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Dhuibhshíthe" which means "black peace." Though some sources suggest the "black" refers to "dark or sinister," it is more likely to refer to dark-haired or dark-complexioned ancestry. This name was often anglicized to "MacFee," "MacPhee," or "MacFie." The ancestors of the McPhee clan hailed from the Scottish Hebrides, specifically the islands of Colonsay and Oronsay. During the 17th century, many members of the McPhee clan were driven out of their lands due to various political and religious conflicts and subsequently emigrated to the North American colonies. This has resulted in a widespread global diaspora of individuals bearing the McPhee surname. Today, it remains a fairly common surname in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and of course, Scotland.
Order DNA origin analysisMcPhee: Where does the name McPhee come from?
The surname McPhee is Irish and Scottish in origin. It is derived from the Gaelic term "Mac Dhuibhshíthe", which means "son of the peace". Over time, the pronunciation of the word was anglicized and eventually became McPhee. The name is common in Scotland, particularly in the Western Isles and Highlands region. Among the earliest recording of the McPhee surname includes Dugald MacDuffie, in the year 1587, he was a notable Bard and Crown Tenant in the Isle of Mull.
Today, the name McPhee continues to be most common in Scotland, but it has also spread significantly to other English-speaking nations due to migration. Such nations include the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However, as with many surnames, specific data about the distribution of people with the McPhee surname in every country is not readily available.
Variations of the surname McPhee
The surname McPhee finds its origin in Scotland, specifically from the Hebrides. The name is derived from the Gaelic surname "Mac Dhuibhshithe", which means "black peace". This was later translated into English as MacDuffie, which is another variant of the surname. There are a number of possible variants and spellings of the surname McPhee due to the translation and subsequent anglicization of the name. These include MacPhee, MacFie, MacPhe, MacFy, MacFiee, MacDuffy, Duffy, MacDuffey and Duffie.
It must be noted that Mc and Mac are interchangeable prefixes and simply mean "son of". Therefore, you may also see the variants McFie, McFy, McPhe, McFiee, McDuffy, McDuffey, and Duffey. The surnames Duffy and Duffey, however, are more common in Ireland although it shares the same root as the Scottish McPhee, MacFie, and MacDuffie.
McPhee as a surname has also been carried to other countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and United States, leading to the emergence of more variants and spellings over time due to mispronunciations and misspellings.
Famous people with the name McPhee
- Katharine McPhee: American actress, singer, and songwriter
- David McPhee: Scottish football manager
- Thunder McPhee: Australian Aboriginal activist
- John McPhee: Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer
- Gregory McPhee: Member of the South Australian Legislative Council
- Eddie McPhee: British actor
- Phyllis McPhee: Canadian politician
- Taylor McPhee: Canadian actress
- Chris McPhee: British footballer
- Andrew McPhee: Irish hurler
- Peter McPhee: British politician
- Helen McPhee: English professor
- Elizabeth McPhee: Scottish Gaelic scholar
- Tim McPhee: Professional golfer
- Joe McPhee: American jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer
- Eoin McPhee: Irish hurler
- Mick McPhee: Scottish football player
- Jack McPhee: American actor
- Annabelle McPhee: Australian writer and producer
- Donny McPhee: Canadian ice hockey player