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The Surnames of Scotland by Black Published 1946 by the publishing service of The New York Public Library [copy used is part of the Bowler Collection at West Springfield Public Library, West Springfield, Ma ..Call# 929.4..B627s] |
| CORMACK,CORMICKCormac (Cormag) is an old Gaelic personal name occuring in Adaman (VC.,I,c,6) as Cormacus. From early Celtic "corb-mac" chariot lad" or "charioteer". Modern Cormack may be the shortened form of MacCormacic or MacCormaig, "son of Cormac" [ed note - Cormac also name for Lord of the Isles and 'of the isles' is common. Cormac was a "King of Western Isles & Western Highlands, precursor kings of Scotland. Kingdom included Ulst and present Ulster] p171 |
| MACCORMACK,MACCORMICK. G. MacCormaig, MacCormaic, or Mac C(h)ormaig , 'son of Cormac' ... Gillecrest mac Cormaic is one of the witnesses to grant to the Abbey of Deer, 1132 (Bk.Deer, III,8-9). Gilbert McCormok, 1478 (ALC.). Hester M'Cormock was retoured heir of Gilbert M'Cormok of Barley, 1696 (Retours, Kirkcudbright, 382). John M'Comok in Path, 1774 (Wigtown) is a mis-spellinng. John M'Cormick in Broach,1797 (Kircudbright). Maccormick is more common in the Highlands. In 1684 (Parish): McArmick, McCarmick,McCarmike, McCormick, McKermick, Makarmik, McCornick, McCornock, McCornok, McKornock>Cormakc, Cornick, Cramick, Elsewhere: Makcormok, M'Kernok, M'Kornok...p.476 |
| ADAMNAN .. This name , celebrated as that of the biographer of S.Columba, is in Gaelic Adhmhnan (pronounced Yownan or Yonan), for earlier Adhamhnan, early Irish Adamnan. Latinized in the early seventh century as Adamnanus. a middle Scottish Gaelic form, Oghomhnan, also occurs (Rel. Celt, II p.153,154). Cormac the king-bishop of Cashel in his Glossary explains the name as diminutive of Adam ('disbecadh anma Adhaimh'), Irish Adam, and this expnation has been generally accepted by scholars. [p.7] |
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MACGOWAN, MACGOUN,MACGOWN,MACGOUNE ... G. Mac a' ghobbainn or Mac Ghobhainn, 'son of the smith'. MacGowan is te name of an old Stirling family. Forms two to four found in the Glascow dictionary, may be Irish. Gilcallum McGoun had a precept of remission for rapine and other crimes on the lands of the abbot of Cupar, 1503 (RSS., 1 953). Gilbert Makgowin a follower of the Earl of Cassilis, was respited for murder in 1526 (ibid., 3386) Wiliam McGown in Pitcalny, a followerof Ross of Ptcalny, 1592 (RPC., V, p.31). Murchy McGowy or Murthie McGowne in Fanmoir, Mull, was put to horn in 1629 (RPC., 2 ser.n,p341; m p.45) ... (2) In the reign of David II there was a clan M'Gowan, probably located somewhere on the River Nith, whose chiefship was adjudged to Donald Edzear (RMS., I App. II 982). This Edzear was a descendant of Dunegal of Stranith (Nithedale), whose seat was at Morton, Dumfreissshire, about the beginning of the twelth century. The name here may indicate descent from Owen the Bald (the Eugenius Calvin of Simeon of Durham), king of the Strathclyde Britons, who was killed in 1018. ..p.505 |
| NEIL, NEILL, NEAL, G. Niall, EG. Niall, Latinized (gen.) by Adamnan, Nellis is a diminutive of Ir. Nia, 'champion'. Niall was borrowed by the Norsemen and appers in their language as Njall and Njal. Among the Normans in France the name became Nesle or Nele, and bt them it was introduced into England and appears in the Domeday Book. In England, the name was Latinized Nigellus on the supposition tatit meant 'black,' and in this form is the source of Scottish Nigel. Achyne mac Niele attested the bounds of the Grange of Kircwynni and land of Culwen in Kirggunzeon, 1289 (Holm Cultram, p 88), John Nele was witness at Irvine, 1455 (Irvine, I, p.147), and Thomas Nele was baiof burgh of Are, 1507 (Ayr, p.37). The family of Neill of Barnwell, Ayrshire, claim descent from a cadet of Macneil of Barra, c. 1550, who is said to have settled in Ayrshire. In Galloway, Neil, it is said, someties usedas a shortening of MACNEIL-LIE,q.v. As a forename: Nile Hog, member of council of Stirling, 1557 (SBR., p.378) p.625 |
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MACFEE, MACFIE, MACPHEE, MACPHIE G., MacDhubbshith,
one of the oldest an most interesting Gaelic personal names we possess. "Its plan and concept," says Dr. Gillies, "go far away beyond those of even our old names" (Place Names of Argyllshire, p.82). Johannes Macdufti
appears as a charter witness in Dumfreissshire in the reign of Alexander II .... The Island of Colonsay appears to have been the home of the clan, but later a number of the name were located in Lochaber, and were follers of Cameron of Locheil. ... The name means "Black (one) of peace,' from dubh and sith ... and parallel names are Cusithe, "hound of peace,' and Fearsithe,'man of peace'. A family in North Ulst is (or was) kown as 'dubh-sidh', or 'black-fairy' from the tradition that the family have been familiar with the fairies in their fairy-flights and secret migrations. ... M'affeith ... McAffie ... M'aphie ... M'duffe, McDuffe... McDuphie ... Makfeithe ... McFeye ... Mc iphie ...Machaffie ... McAchopich p493 |
| MACEACHERN,MAEACHEARN,MacEchern,MacEachhran, G. MacEach-thigh=earna, 'son of the horse-lord.' The name goes back to OIr, when itappearas as Ech-tigern. On the shaft at the cross at Kilkerran near Campbeltown, Kyntyre,is the inscrition: Hec est: crux: Coleni: Mc: Heachyrna; et Katarine: uxoris : eius (Drummond, Sculptured monuments of Iona, pl lxxxi). Ths is probably Colin MacEachern who was chief of the macEacherns in 1499. Charles M'Caichrane hld lands in Kyntyre in 1605 (HP., III, p.84). N'Aichieran appears in Kenmore, 1682 (DPD., I, p.486). ... Epidion Akron is the name of the Mull of Kintyre in the Geography of Ptolemy, c 140 A>D> The root of the tribe is epos, horse; the Epidii, a British tribe, were the 'horse folk,' and it is iteresting to note that Kyntyre in historic times has always been claimed as the home of t Maceacherns or Macecherns. ...p.489 |
| DOUGAL, DOUGALL, DUGAL,DUGALD G. Dughall, MG. Dowgall, Dubgaill (gen., 1467 MS). The OIr. form of the name is Dubgall, 'black stranger', a "Dane.' With 'Mac' we have MACDOUAL and MACDOUGAL, qv. Dufgal occurs on a runic stone in the Isle of Man as Tufcal, and in the form Duggall it is found in Norse Konunga Sogur (p.332). Dufgal filius Mocche, 'senex, justus, et venerabilis,' appears in a complaint by themonks od ST Serf's Island in Loch Leven c. 1128 (RPSA., p117). Reeves (Culdees, p130) says this DUfal " resembles the old Dubghall of Scone" who is mentioned in the Irish tract on the men of Alba preserved in the Book of Ballymote and in MacFirbis genealogical MS. Old Dubghall was the father of Raingce whose son Aiscdhe was aprogenitor of Clann COnsidhe in Bib" (Fife). But he occurs too high in the pedigree to admit of being contemporary with King David, 1124-53. In the Gaelic genealogical MS of 1467 'Ruingr mc Sean Duhgall' is given as one of the ancestors of the Macleans. Dunegall, brother of Maldouen son of Alwin, earl of Levenax, witnessed the earl's gift of the church of Kamsi (Campsie) to S. Kentigern c 1206-14, and as Duugallus he appears c. 1208-33 (REG., p.88,93). Dugal, canon of Dunblane, was afterwards bishop (Inchaffray, p260), and Dugall, thane of Molen, 1261, was one of the inquisition onthe kig's garden at ELgin adn the lands belonging to it (APS., I,p.101red). ... The devocalization of-ll final suggested to non-Gaelic ears that a d or t followed, hence the spelling Dugald and in caricature Tugalt. Dowgal 1527. ...p.217 |
| Editor wherever noted is Scott M Connolly |