Surname McTavish - Meaning and Origin
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McTavish: What does the surname McTavish mean?
The last name McTavish is of Scottish Gaelic origin and translates to "son of Tavish." In Gaelic, the prefix 'Mc' or 'Mac' means 'son of.' Tavish is a derivative of the name Thomas, which originates from the Aramaic name T’om’a, meaning 'twin.' Thus, colloquially, McTavish could mean "son of Thomas" or "son of the twin." The name is predominantly found in Scottish Highland clans, particularly within Clan Campbell, Clan MacTavish, and Clan MacDonald of Sleat. Generations carrying this surname have a rich history in Scotland and around the world. Today, McTavish is a common surname in Scotland and in countries with significant Scottish populations or immigration history, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Order DNA origin analysisMcTavish: Where does the name McTavish come from?
The last name McTavish is most commonly found in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the United States. In Scotland, the surname is found mainly in the West Coast of Scotland, including the Strathclyde, Ayrshire, Shetland, and Orkney regions. Irish McTavish families are found in Northern Ireland, in Counties Antrim, Armagh, and Down. In Canada, the name is found in British Columbia and especially in Nova Scotia.
The McTavish surname is also found in the United States, with most of the families concentrated in the New England area. There are also entries in Wisconsin, Illinois, and other Mid-Western states. The surname is also found in the South, such as in Texas and Louisiana. Some of the McTavishs in the United States are the result of Irish and Scottish migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Today, it is estimated that there are around 7,000 people throughout the world with the surname McTavish. Most of them are found in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the United States, followed by small numbers in England, Australia, and other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname McTavish
The surname McTavish has a number of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
McTavish is derived from the Gaelic Mac Tamhais, meaning 'son of Thomas’. The most common variant of this name is MacTavish, also MacTavish and MacTavish. Other variants include MacTavis and MacTavishe, as well as Tavish and Tavishigh.
The variant forms of the surname can be found across Scotland, Canada and the United States. In some cases, the McTavish surname has developed a distinctly Irish variant, to become MacTawish.
In England, the common spellings for the McTavish surname include MacTavis, MacTavish and Tavish.
In Scotland, the surname can take a number of forms, including MacTavis, MacTavishe and MacTavish.
In Canada and the United States, the surname is often spelled as Tavish, Tavishigh and MacTavish.
The variants of the surname can be found in a range of surnames, including McAvis, MacAvish, McAvishe, McAvisheigh, McEvish, McEvisheigh and Angry.
In some cases the surname can also be found in a number of Anglicised forms, such as McTavis, McTeague and McTeaco.
No matter what form the surname takes, all of these variants ultimately derive from the Gaelic Mac Tamhais, meaning 'son of Thomas'.
Famous people with the name McTavish
- Robert McTavish (Scottish botanist/naturalist)
- Doug McTavish (Canadian professional ice hockey player)
- Mark McTavish (British actor and film producer)
- Andrew McTavish (Scottish narrator/voiceover artist)
- Bob McTavish (Australian surfboard shaper)
- Hamilton McTavish (Canadian physician and later president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia)
- Kenneth J. McTavish (American soldier who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor)
- Steve McTavish (Australian entrepreneur)
- Julie McTavish (American fiction writer)
- John McTavish (Canadian Hotelier who started the McTavish Hotel chain)