Table of Contents
Why do Irish people have Mc in their last names?
Many Irish surnames we are familiar with that begin with Mc or Mac are patronyms; Mc and Mac stand for “son,” so Mc Doyle would mean Son of Doyle. The familiar O means “grandson,’ therefore O’Brien means Grandson of O’Brien.
What nationality are names that start with Mc?
Scottish
If you fancy an unusual Scottish or Irish moniker for your baby, you should definitely consider a “Mac” or “Mc” name. These names are very common in Scotland and Ireland as surnames (Macdonald was the ninth-most common Scottish surname in 2016 according to the National Records of Scotland).

What are the 10 most common last names in Ireland?
Here are the top 10 family names in Ireland:
- O’Brien.
- Ryan.
- Byrne.
- O’Connor.
- Walsh.
- O’Sullivan.
- McCarthy.
- Doyle.
What last names start with Mc?
A list of Irish surnames beginning with Mac (or Mc), from McCann to McSweeney.
- MacAuley. Variants: McCauley, McAwley, Cawley,Magawley.
- MacAuliffe. In Irish:MacAmhlaoibh.
- MacBride. Variants: McBride.
- MacCabe. Variants: McCabe.
- MacCann. Variants: Canny, McCann.
- MacCarthy. Variants: McCarthy.
- MacCormack. Variants: McCormick.
- MacCullagh.
What surnames begin with Mc?

What last names start with MC?
Is Mc Irish or Scottish?
Strictly speaking, there is no difference between Mac and Mc. The contraction from Mac to Mc has occurred more in Ireland than in Scotland, with two out of three Mc surnames originating in Ireland, but two out of three Mac surnames originating in Scotland.
What does Mc mean in Irish?
son
Both “Mac” and “Mc” are prefixes that come from the Irish word “mac” meaning “son.” As surnames were Anglicized, the ‘a’ was gradually lost in some names.
Is Mc Irish?
Why do Irish names begin with Mc?
Both “Mac” and “Mc” are prefixes that come from the Irish word “mac” meaning “son.” As surnames were Anglicized, the ‘a’ was gradually lost in some names.
Why do surnames start with Mc?
Generally surnames starting with ‘Mc’ are more likely to be Irish, whilst surnames that start with ‘Mac’ are more commonly Scottish.
Why do last names start with Mc?
Scottish and Irish patronymic surnames frequently have the prefix Mac or Mc. When these surnames were originally developed, they were formed by adding the Gaelic word mac, which means son of, to the name of the original bearer’s father.
What does Mc mean in Ireland?
Are Mc surnames Irish?