2007-11-13 02:59:27 · 17 answers · asked by tochy 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Mc or Mac means "Son of" so James Mc Dougal would be James, Son of Dougal.
The same applies to the Irish " O' "
2007-11-13 03:05:52 · answer #1 · answered by Colin H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Mac and Mc" in Ireland and Scotland mean "son of". So McDougal literally means son of Dougal who was the original clan leader. Some last names are connected to the land they lived in, and others are decedent names, and others still are what their professions were. In some cultures names describe a characteristic of the person or maybe a futures characteristic.
2007-11-13 03:12:28 · answer #2 · answered by tjnstlouismo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In this example Mac, Mc in gaelic is son of Dougal. Although it is only used in gaelic the feminine version is NicDougal for daughter
2007-11-13 03:40:15 · answer #3 · answered by Spanishscotty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Going back in time the Mc or Mac means the son of , e.g MacDonald was the son of Donald . Obviously with the passage of time this has died out but the names still survive.
2007-11-13 03:10:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think that you will find in Scotland they use MacDougall the Mac meaning son of.
However in Ireland they use Mc prefixes so if a Scotsman has a McCleggan surname his forebears probably came from Ireland.
2007-11-13 10:29:38 · answer #5 · answered by Terry G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh dear! MAC or Mc means "Son of". NIC or Nc means "Daughter of" (ie Flora NicDhomnaill (sp)), though the latter is only really still used in Gaelic. In Scots if you were a lady you'd just be called Mac or Mc as well (ie Flora MacDonald).
2007-11-13 19:02:40 · answer #6 · answered by Jock 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scottish and Irish: variation of McLean. Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Gille Eathain, a patronymic from a private call meaning ‘servant of (Saint) John’. The family contributors bearing this call have been chieftains in numerous islands of the indoors Hebrides. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Eóin, cognate with a million, from a different Gaelic form of Johannes (John). learn McGlone.
2016-09-29 03:57:00 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Terry G - "I think that you will find in Scotland they use MacDougall the Mac meaning son of. However in Ireland they use Mc prefixes..."
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No, that's not correct. It can be either.
Mc is just the abbreviated form of Mac.
2007-11-17 00:52:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Son of
2007-11-13 03:02:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means 'son of' as in son of Dougal.
The same applies to the Irish O' as in O'Connor-son of Connor.
2007-11-13 03:06:35 · answer #10 · answered by ☞H.Potter☜ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋