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Gaelic  Surnames Family History Resources

Surnames, their origin and their meaning

Many surnames are associated with the place/locality of where the family lived and in those cases the location is noted as the meaning.
Many surnames are associated with the occupation of the person given the name.

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Surname		Origin	Meaning
Agan		Gaelic	Eigin, force, violence
Algar		Gaelic	Noble
Ammadon		Gaelic	Amadan, a numskull, a simpleton
Anstruther		Gaelic	Anstruth, an ancient order of historians or bards among the Celts
Argyle		Gaelic	Earra Ghaidheal, that is, the country of the western Gael
Ascall		Gaelic	a sheltered place, a bosom, a covert
Asgall		Gaelic	a sheltered place, a bosom, a covert
Auchmuty		Gaelic	Ach, an elevation, a mound, and mod, a court, an assembly, a meeting
Avery		Gaelic	Aimhrea contention or disagreement
Baisley		Gaelic	Baisealach, proud
Balcombe		Gaelic	Bal, a round body, any thing thrown up and combe, a valley
Balfour		Gaelic	Ball and Balla, signifies a casting up, raising, and denotes a wall, fortress, house, a village
Bancho		Gaelic	ban, white, and chu or cu, a dog
Banta		Gaelic	Beaunta, hills, mountains
Barrell		Gaelic	Barrail, excellent, surpassing
Beal		Gaelic	Beul, the mouth, and by metonymy, eloquent, musical
Beatty		Gaelic	Beathaich, to feed, nourish, to welcome, to support
Begg		Gaelic	Beag, little, young, small of stature
Billings		Gaelic	Beilean, loquacious; a prattling person
Borrail		Gaelic	swaggering, boastful, haughty, proud
Boyd		Gaelic	buidhe, yellow-haired
Brady		Gaelic	Breada, handsome
Braine		Gaelic	Brain, a chieftain
Bran		Gaelic	raven
Brennan		Gaelic	Ó Branáin descendant of Branán
Brian		Gaelic	Bri, dignity, honor, and an, diminutive of that to which it is annexed, belonging to it
Briant		Gaelic	Bri, exalted, and ant, a termination, implying the being or state of that to which it is annexed
Brick		Gaelic	Ó Bruic descendant of Broc
Bride		Gaelic	Brighid, a hostage, pledge, or security
Bridgman		Gaelic	a builder of bridges
Brion		Gaelic	Bri, dignity, honor, and an, diminutive of that to which it is annexed, belonging to it
Bryant		Gaelic	Bri, exalted, and ant, a termination, implying the being or state of that to which it is annexed
Bucklin		Gaelic	Buic, a roe-buck, deer, and linne, a pool or lake
Bullions		Gaelic	Beul, the mouth, and Liane, the river
Bun		Gaelic	Bunn, a hill
Burt		Gaelic	quizzing, joking
Cady		Gaelic	Ca-dia, the house of God
Calder		Gaelic	Calduor, and Welsh, the water that incloses or shuts in
Dalrymple		Gaelic	Dale-roi-milleadh, which signifies the valley of the slaughter of kings
Dalyell		Gaelic	Dal, a dale or valley, and cille, a church
Dalziel		Gaelic	Dal, a dale or valley, and cille, a church
Maclay		Gaelic	son of Clay
Magoon		Gaelic	Magoon, son of the smith
Maguire		Gaelic	son of Guaire
Mar		Gaelic	Maor, an officer of justice
Marven		Gaelic	Morven, a ridge of very high hills
McAllister		Gaelic	son of Alister
McCardle		Gaelic	son of the high-rock
McCoun		Gaelic	Mac, son, and Ceann, head or chief
McCree		Gaelic	Mac, son, and Righ, king
McDhoil		Gaelic	son of Dowell or Dougall
McDonnough		Gaelic	son of Donnach
McDowell		Gaelic	son of Dowell or Dougall
McDuff		Gaelic	son of the captain
McFarland		Gaelic	son of Pharlan, or Partholan
McGinnis		Gaelic	son of Ginnis
McGowan		Gaelic	son of a smith
McIldouney		Gaelic	Mac, son, gille, a youth, and doinne, brownishness
McIlhenny		Gaelic	son of the old man
McIlroy		Gaelic	Mac, gille, and ruadh, red-haired
McKensie		Gaelic	son of the chief, head, or first
McMahon		Gaelic	son of a bear
McMurtair		Gaelic	son of a murderer
McNaughton		Gaelic	Mac, son, an, of, and achduinn, tools and instruments of all kinds
Mellis		Gaelic	milis, sweet
Moel		Gaelic	Maol, signifies bald
More		Gaelic	Mor, great, chief, tall, mighty, proud
Moreton		Gaelic	mor, large, high, and dun, ton, a hill
Moriarty		Gaelic	Mor, great, and artach, exalted
Morton		Gaelic	Mor, big, great, and dun, ton, a hill
Mulligan		Gaelic	Mullechean, the top or summit, a height
Nevin		Gaelic	Naomh, holy, sacred, consecrated
Newth		Gaelic	new, fresh, recent.
Ochiern		Gaelic	the heir apparent to a lordship
Oigthierna		Gaelic	heir apparent to a lordship,
Camus		Gaelic	A bay, a creek, a harbor
Can		Gaelic	Clear, white, fair, and hence, beloved, dear
Cann		Gaelic	Ceann and Kin
Caractacus		Gaelic	Caer, a castle or city; eacht, an exploit, and cios, a tribute, expressive of his abilities in conducting an offensive, as well as a defensive war
Card		Gaelic	Ceairde, Gaelic, a tradesman
Carnigan		Gaelic	Carneach signifies a Druid or priest
Cartland		Gaelic	caraid, a pair of streams
Cass		Gaelic	to thwart, oppose
Cassidy		Gaelic	casaideach, apt to complain or accuse
Cathcart		Gaelic	Caeth-Cart, from caeth, a strait, the river here running in a narrow channel
Catherwood		Gaelic	Cathar, soft, boggy ground; or the fortified place in a wood
Caw		Gaelic	Ca, a house, a place fortified, inclosed, surrounded
Donnach		Gaelic	Duncan Diongnach, strong, fortified
Dorr		Gaelic	difficult, easily vexed
Douglass		Gaelic	Dhu, black, dark, and glass, green
Drake		Gaelic	drac, a route, a way, a footstep
Driscoll		Gaelic	dreas and coill, a thicket of briars, the place of wild roses
Drummond		Gaelic	Druim, the back, and monadh, mountain
Duff		Gaelic	black
Duffin		Gaelic	Little Duff
Quigly		Gaelic	Cuigealach, of or belonging to a distaff or hand rock
Rian		Gaelic	manner, order, arrangement, sobriety, good disposition
Roe		Gaelic	Red-haired
Roy		Gaelic	red-haired
Runnion		Gaelic	A small hill
Runon		Gaelic	A small hill.
Seaver		Gaelic	Saibher, rich
Shanach		Gaelic	Sionnach, a fox
Shannon		Gaelic	a river of Ireland
Sherlock		Gaelic	Saor, pronounced as with 'h' after the 'S,' signifying clear, and loch, a lake
Skene		Gaelic	Sgian, and three dirk-points in pale for his arms
Stair		Gaelic	Stepping stones in a river
Stairn		Gaelic	Din, noise
Cleary		Gaelic	Cleireach, a clerk, a clergyman, a writer
Clery		Gaelic	Cleireach, a clerk, a clergyman
Cochran		Gaelic	Coc, manifest, plain, and rinn, a cape or promontory
Cockran		Gaelic	Coc, manifest, plain, and rinn, a cape or promontory
Dumfries		Gaelic	Dun, a castle, and frith, a deerforest
Dun		Gaelic	a hill or rising ground, a fort or castle
Dunbar		Gaelic	the castle, town, or fort on the height or summit
Dunlap		Gaelic	Dun, a castle, fort, or hill, and lub, a curvature, a bending of the shore
Dunlevy		Gaelic	Dun, a hill, ley, green, and vy, a river or stream
Dunlop		Gaelic	Dun, a castle, fort, or hill, and lub, a curvature, a bending of the shore
Dunn		Gaelic	a heap, hill, mount
Dur		Gaelic	dull, stubborn, obstinate, steady, earnest, persevering
Durgy		Gaelic	Duirche, Dorch, dark, cloudy, hence dark-complexioned
Durkey		Gaelic	Duirche, Dorch, dark, cloudy, hence dark-complexioned
Duthie		Gaelic	duthaich, country
Duthy		Gaelic	duthaich, country
Dwyre		Gaelic	Do-ire, a woody place, uncultivated
Dysart		Gaelic	Dia, God, and ard, high
Eiginn		Gaelic	Strong-handed
Erskine		Gaelic	upon the knife
Faal		Gaelic	A rocky place
Faden		Gaelic	Feadan, a fife, flute
Fagan		Gaelic	A beech-tree
Farquhar		Gaelic	From Fear, a man, and còir, just, honest, good
Farraday		Gaelic	From Farraideach, inquisitive, prying, curious
Fearan		Gaelic	An estate
Ferrol		Gaelic	Famous men
Finney		Gaelic	the genitive of Fionn, fair, sincere, true
Firol		Gaelic	Famous men
Flannagan		Gaelic	From flann, ruddy complexion
Forsythe		Gaelic	From Fear, a man, and Syth, upright, honest, stiff
Strachan		Gaelic	the parish of Strachan in Kincardineshire, Scotland, formerly Strathaen
Stukley		Gaelic	stuc, a little hill jutting out from a greater, a cliff, and ley, a place
Stukly		Gaelic	stuc, a little hill jutting out from a greater, a cliff, and ley, a place
Sult		Gaelic	Suilt or Sult, comeliness, beauty, fat
Sweyne		Gaelic	Sean
Taggart		Gaelic	Tagair to plead a cause, claim as a right, to reason, to debate
Taite		Gaelic	Pleasure, delight
Tate		Gaelic	Pleasure, delight
Tiernay		Gaelic	Tighearna, a lord, a judge, a landed proprietor
Traille		Gaelic	A servant, sloven, slave
Train		Gaelic	Treun, brave, valiant, bold
Trainer		Gaelic	Treunmhor, very brave
Traineur		Gaelic	straggler
Trenor		Gaelic	Treunmhor, very brave
Wallock		Gaelic	loch, a lake
Collins		Gaelic	Cuilein, darling, a term of endearment applied to young animals
Collyns		Gaelic	Collins Cuilein, darling, a term of endearment applied to young animals
Colquhoun		Gaelic	Colg, and chuoin, the genitive of Cu, a hound, a war-dog
Colwell		Gaelic	Col, hazel; and ville, a village, changed into well
Conley		Gaelic	Ó Conghaile descendant of Conghal, a name meaning hound valiant
Conn		Gaelic	Strength
Contin		Gaelic	Con-tuinn, signifying the meeting of the waters, alluding to the forking of the river Rasay
Cooey		Gaelic	Cu-maighe, the hero or swift warrior
Corbin		Gaelic	Cor-beann or Cor-beinn steep hill
Corkin		Gaelic	coire, a dell, a circular hollow, and ceann, the head
Corrie		Gaelic	Coire, a circular hollow surrounded with hills
Corry		Gaelic	Coire, a circular hollow surrounded with hills
Cory		Gaelic	caire, a circular hollow surrounded by hills
Cowan		Gaelic	Gobhainn, a smith
Cowen		Gaelic	Cowan, Gobhainn, a smith
Cowin		Gaelic	Cowan, Gobhainn, a smith
Frame		Gaelic	Freumk or Freamk, a root, stem, stock, lineage
Friskin		Gaelic	From Fear, and skein, a sword
Gainnes		Gaelic	Gainne, a dart, an arrow, a shaft
Gairden		Gaelic	An inclosed or fortified place
Galbraith		Gaelic	Gall and Bhreatan
Galgachus		Gaelic	Gald the fighter of battles, Colgach, Gaelic, fierce, furious, and ach, battle, skirmish
Gall		Gaelic	A native of the Lowlands of Scotland
Gallagher		Gaelic	From Gallach, valiant, brave, and er put for fear, a man
Galligan		Gaelic	From Gealagan, white
Gaskell		Gaelic	Gaisgeil, valorous
Gilchrist		Gaelic	From gille, a servant, and Chriosed, Christ
Gillespie		Gaelic	Archibald
Gillies		Gaelic	Gill-Iosa, the servant of Jesus
Gillpatrick		Gaelic	From gille, a servant, and Patrick
Gilmour		Gaelic	Gillemore the henchman or follower of the chief
Glasgow		Gaelic	the city of Glasgow, Scotland
Glass		Gaelic	Gray, pale, wan
Gookin		Gaelic	Gugan, a bud, flower, a daisy
Gorten		Gaelic	Gairtean, a garden, a small piece of arable land enclosed
Gow		Gaelic	A smith
Gowan		Gaelic	A smith
Graeme		Gaelic	gruaim, surly, sullen, dark, having a fierce and stern look, courageous
Graham		Gaelic	gruaim, surly, sullen, dark, having a fierce and stern look, courageous
Gregor		Gaelic	Greigh a herd and fear a man
Grimes		Gaelic	gruaim, surly, sullen, dark, having a fierce and stern look, courageous
Hogan		Gaelic	Og, young
Crofts		Gaelic	plural of Croft
Cronan		Gaelic	mournful tune or murmuring sound
Culbert		Gaelic	From Culbheart, craft, cunning
Cupar		Gaelic	fortified hill
Cusick		Gaelic	long coat or cassock
Kaynard		Gaelic	Kinnaird, a place in Perthshire, Scotland
Kean		Gaelic	Ceann, the head, the top, a chief, a commander
Kellogg		Gaelic	a cock, coileach
Kemyss		Gaelic	a person whose nose is turned upwards
Kennan		Gaelic	Ceanann or Ceanfhionn, white-headed, bald
Kennard		Gaelic	Kinnaird, a place in Perthshire, Scotland
Kerr		Gaelic	Kaer, a castle
Kiernan		Gaelic	a heap
Kilgour		Gaelic	ancient name of a parish in Fifeshire, Scotland
Killin		Gaelic	A place in Perthshire, Scotland
Kincadd		Gaelic	Ceanncath, the chief or commander of the battle
Kincade		Gaelic	From ceann, head, and cath or cad, battle
Kinnaird		Gaelic	Kinnaird, a place in Perthshire, Scotland
Kinnard		Gaelic	Kinnaird, a place in Perthshire, Scotland
Kinnear		Gaelic	Ceanneir, from Ceann, head, and eir, an abbreviation of fear, a man
Kinney		Gaelic	Cine, kindred, a clan, a tribe
Kinsley		Gaelic	Ceannsallach, authoritative, commanding, ruling
Kirnan		Gaelic	Carnan, a heap
Knox		Gaelic	Cnoc, a little hill
Lahey		Gaelic	Leighiche, a physician
Laird		Gaelic	Lord
Lane		Gaelic	Llane, a plain; barren, sandy, level lands
Lanphear		Gaelic	Lann-feur grass-land
Laoran		Gaelic	too fond of the fireside
Lawless		Gaelic	Lagh, law, order, and lios, a court, a hall, a fortress, a place where law is administered
Lennon		Gaelic	Leannon, a lover, a sweetheart
Lennox		Gaelic	Laland, an island in Denmark
Lizard		Gaelic	lios, a fort, an inclosure, or garden, and ard, high
Lobdale		Gaelic	Lub, bending, curving, and dail, a narrow vale or meadow
Logan		Gaelic	An inclosed plain or low-lying place

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