MacDonald
The surname MacDonald (and its variant McDonald) is a patronymic name meaning "son of Dòmhnall", originating in Scottish and Irish Gaelic. It derives from the personal name Donald,…
Names. Origins. Stories.
Explore family names, one letter at a time. Discover meanings, origins, spelling variations, and the sources that can lead you to your next research step.
Find your family nameA little curiosity goes a long way
Search a name or choose a letter below.
Search published surname names. Apostrophes, spaces, hyphens, and accents are ignored when matching.
Showing 61–72 of 118 profiles
The surname MacDonald (and its variant McDonald) is a patronymic name meaning "son of Dòmhnall", originating in Scottish and Irish Gaelic. It derives from the personal name Donald,…
The Mackenzie surname originates from Scotland, derived from the Gaelic Mac Coinnich meaning "son of Coinneach"—a personal name meaning "comely" or "handsome." It is a patronymic surname with…
The surname Martin derives from the Latin name Martinus, meaning ‘of Mars’ or ‘warlike’, with additional Gaelic patronymic forms in Scotland. It has multiple independent origins and is…
Martínez is a Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Martín"; it originates from the Latin personal name Martinus. The name spread widely in Spanish‑speaking regions and appears in…
The surname Mason is an occupational name derived from the Old English or Old French term for a stone mason. It appears in England and Scotland since the…
McCarthy is an Irish patronymic surname meaning "son of Cárthach" and historically linked to the powerful MacCarthy clan of County Cork. The name has multiple spelling variants but…
Meredith is a Welsh surname derived from the personal name Meredydd (Old Welsh Morgetiud). The name is patronymic, meaning it comes from a male ancestor's given name. The…
The surname Miller is an occupational name meaning “mill worker” derived from the Middle English word for mill. It also appears as an anglicized form of several European…
The Moreau surname is of French and Walloon origin, derived from the medieval personal name Morel, itself a diminutive of Latin Maurellus meaning ‘Moor’. It is a descriptive…
The surname Morgan is of Welsh origin, derived from the personal name Morcant. In Ireland it also appears as an anglicised form of Ó Muireagáin, meaning "descendant of…
The surname Murphy is of Irish origin, derived from the personal name Murchadh meaning ‘sea warrior’ or ‘sea-battler’. It is a patronymic surname that has evolved through several…
The surname Murray has two documented origins: a Scottish locational form derived from the district of Moray, and an Irish patronymic form meaning "descendant of Muireadhach" or "servant…
This directory includes published profiles. Editorial review status appears on each card. A surname can have more than one origin or formation type.
Another way to explore
A trade, a place, a parent’s name. Follow the patterns that helped shape family names.