Surnames in both Scotland and Ireland can appear in both places. Some names that we associate with Scotland are of Irish origin. There are also surprisingly Scottish roots to many surnames that people believe are entirely Irish.
Once upon a time, the highway was the sea. The sea kingdom of Dal Riata later shifted and the Clan Donald ruled over the Sea Kingdom as Lords of the Isles for hundreds of years.
Ireland has also been a seafaring nation from time out of mind, so travel between Scotland and Ireland was very common.
Due to this history, many surnames believed to be 100% Irish are in fact Scottish names. Read on to learn just a few of the Irish surnames you probably never realised were Scottish.
10. MacSweeney – warriors in Donegal
This was an ancient clan from Scotland that became elite gallowglass mercenary warriors in Donegal. There were several different clans that participated in the mercenary campaigns in Ireland, partly due to the proximity between Ireland and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
9. Boyd – the fair-haired
This name is very common across Ireland and therefore assumed to be of Irish origin. Its meaning could be ‘fair-haired’ or relate to the Isle of Bute in Scotland.
8. MacSorley – sons of Somerled
This name means son of Somerled, the ancient king of the Scottish isles and founder of Clan Donald. Their clan seat is on the Isle of Skye but originated on the island of Islay.
7. Sheehy – gallowglass warriors
This name seems to be of Munster-Irish origins. However, some of them originated from a branch of the Scottish Highland Clan Donald, which came over as Gallowglass warriors and eventually dropped the Mac prefix from their name.
6. McOmish – a Scottish clan
This surname seems Irish but is in fact the Clan MacThomas from Scotland. There are McOmishes originating in Ireland itself, but the name carries both Scottish and Irish history.
5. McDonnell – common Irish name with Scottish origins
Although this name appears everywhere in Ireland, it is actually a Scottish name, and forms a part of the Clan Donald.
4. McPhee – a Scottish fairy history
This name is common in Ireland but is a Scottish clan name meaning the dark fairy. The folklore surrounding this name is related to the idea that its origins can be sourced to a seal or fairy as its founder.
3. Rankin – a Lowlands name
This originated in the Scottish lowlands as a diminutive for Randolph. There are famous names in both places associated with the surname, including the Rankin Family Canadian folk singers and Ian Rankin, a Scottish crime novelist.
2. McAteer – the MacIntyre connection
This is a Scottish Highland name meaning ‘son of the carpenter’ and has the same root as MacIntyre. However, there are McAteers of Irish origin as well, so the source of the name depends on which family line it comes from.
1. McClure – a name from Galloway and the Highlands
This name originated in Galloway and the Scottish Highlands. McClure is famously the surname of a character on The Simpsons, a television show beloved by Irish people.
This was because, prior to modern streaming services, the show was played in Ireland and became a cultural touchstone for the country despite its American origins.
Interestingly, many Irish people dropped the O’ prefix from their surname. They often kept the Mac/Mc prefix, because it sounded ‘English’ enough, but the O’ was a dead giveaway that the person was Irish.
Living at a time when being Irish was difficult if seeking employment or housing meant that for many families the O’ prefix was dropped forever.
Due to the constant travel back and forth between what is now Scotland and Ireland, as well as multiple other northern countries, many different Irish surnames are Scottish in origin. This is just a short list, but there are many others.
Irishness is, of course, still relevant, since many of these names have been o the island of Ireland now for hundreds of years. But it is a fascinating look into the historical journeys and stories that make up the Ireland we know today.
