Surname McWherter - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McWherter: What does the surname McWherter mean?
The surname McWherter is of Scottish origin. It is a variant of the surname McWhirter, which itself is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Mac Chruiteir. The name can be broken down into two parts: “Mac,” which means “son of,” and “Chruiteir,” which means “a harper.” Therefore, the surname McWherter essentially translates to “son of the harper.” It likely originated as a professional surname, meaning the original bearers were likely harpers or the sons of harpers. Originating in the Scottish region of Ayrshire, this name was further spread by several branches who later migrated to Ireland. The spelling of the name has been altered over time and different branches of the family, giving rise to variations such as McWhirter, McWhorter, and McWherter.
Order DNA origin analysisMcWherter: Where does the name McWherter come from?
The surname McWherter is of Scottish origin. It's believed to be derived from the personal name "Werter," a popular name during the middle ages. The prefix "Mc" is a common characteristic of Scottish surnames, meaning "son of." Therefore, McWherter can be interpreted as "son of Werter."
As with many Scottish surnames, McWherter would have originated in a particular clan or region, but over centuries it has spread beyond the original area due to migrations and displacements. Today, the surname is found globally due to the significant Scottish diaspora, with concentrations in countries where Scots have historically migrated, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
However, it is not a common surname and does not have a high frequency even in these countries. In the United States, for example, the surname McWherter is ranked as the 40,634th most common, indicating its relative scarcity. Despite this, notable individuals with this name include Ned Ray McWherter, who was the governor of Tennessee from 1987 to 1995.
Variations of the surname McWherter
The surname McWherter is of Scottish origin, and like many Scottish surnames, it has several spelling variations. Some of these variations may have occurred due to regional dialects, phonetic spellings, or translations from Gaelic to English.
Common variations include: McWhorter, MacWhirter, MacWhorter, McWhirter, McQuirter, and MacQuirter. These spellings all keep the 'Mc' or 'Mac' prefix, denoting a Gaelic origin meaning "son of." The 'Wherter' or 'Whorter' part of the name is likely a phonetic representation of how the original Gaelic name was pronounced.
An interesting thing about Scottish surnames is that they often give clues about where the original bearer of the name lived. A name like McWhirter could be indicative of the person's profession or even reflect a particular geographical feature of where they lived. Unfortunately, the general meaning of the name 'McWherter' isn't known for certain.
In terms of surname variants, there aren't many commonly-known variants of McWherter. This is likely due to it being less common and its distinct spelling. It's always possible that a variant could be created through a misspelling or misunderstanding of the name, but such instances would likely be isolated and not widely spread.
Finally, it's important to note that the 'Mc' and 'Mac' prefixes are interchangeable, with both carrying the same meaning and derivation. So if you do come across a variant of the name with 'Mac' instead of 'Mc,' there's a good chance it still stems from the same origin.
Famous people with the name McWherter
- Phil McWherter: Phil McWherter is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who served as the Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command from 2005 to 2008.
- Frank McWherter: Frank McWherter was the 48th Governor of Tennessee from 1987 to 1995.
- Mike McWherter: Mike McWherter is a former Tennessee gubernatorial candidate, having ran for Governor unsuccessfully in 2010.
- Charles T. “Chick” McWherter: Charles T. “Chick” McWherter is an American politician who served as a Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1977 to 1992.
- Robert McWherter: Robert McWherter is the owner of McWherter, Scott & Bobbitt, a law firm in Tennessee.
- Alex McWherter: Alex McWherter is an American YouTube personality with over 500,000 subscribers.
- James McWherter: James McWherter is the grandson of 47th Governor of Tennessee, Ned McWherter, and has served as the campaign manager for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter.
- Zach McWherter: Zach McWherter is the Major League Baseball Agent for San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Moore.