Surname MacAsparran - Meaning and Origin
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MacAsparran: What does the surname MacAsparran mean?
The last name MacAsparran is an ancient Gaelic name that originated in Scotland. It is derived from two elements—Mac, which is Gaelic for "son of," and Aisparrán, which is an old-fashioned Gaelic form of the name Aspen.
MacAsparran is a patronymic byname, meaning "son of Asparran” and indicates from which family an individual is descended. The name is commonly associated with the Clan MacAsparran. Clan MacAsparran was a traditional Highland Scottish clan that existed in the West Highlands of Scotland.
The clan descended from a Norseman, Aspar Rinn, who settled in the Argyll area sometime in the 13th century. Aspar Rinn assumed the Gaelic form of his name, Aisparrán, when he married a woman from the local Highland clan and adopted their culture and traditions.
The MacAsparrans were a powerful clan at one time, and their influence spread across much of western Argyll and the isle of Mull, and even as far west as South Uist in the Outer Hebrides. The MacAsparrans were known to be hard-working and inventive, and their handiwork could be seen especially in wool weaving.
The name MacAsparran continues to be found in Scotland today. It has been widely adopted as a first or middle name around the world, and can be used to denote an individual with roots in the Highland Scottish tradition.
Order DNA origin analysisMacAsparran: Where does the name MacAsparran come from?
The last name MacAsparran is mostly found in Scotland today, particularly on Scotland's western shores and the islands in the Hebrides. In 2001, the last name was recorded in 72 households.
The MacAsparran surname is derived from the Scots-Gaelic Mac-a-Spaircin, or ‘son of the son of the sparrow’. It's thought that this derivation refers to an ancestor of the clan who was particularly similar in boldness and spirit to the small but heroic bird.
Traceable records of the MacAsparran surname date back to the year 1576, although the clan was thought to have lived in Scotland before this time. The area around Balintoch was the clan's original family seat, and although the family spread across Scotland later, many still remain in the western coast. In the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a great deal of emigration from Scotland, and today, smaller numbers of the MacAsparran surname can be found in Canada, Australia and the United States.
Although not as well-known as some Scottish clans are, the sons and daughters of the MacAsparran name remain proud of their Scots-Gaelic heritage and are still found regularly in Scotland today.
Variations of the surname MacAsparran
MacAsparran is an uncommon surname with variants from various countries and cultures. The most common variants involve spelling differences, such as Mac Asparran, MacAsperran, MacAsparan, and MacAsperan. Other variations include MacAspran, MacEspurren, and MacEspiren. It is speculated to be of Scottish or Irish origins, though this is not confirmed.
In Scotland, the name may be derived from MacGregor, a Scottish clan, with Asparran being a lesser-known alternative spelling, while in Ireland, the name is thought to have derived from the O'Asparran clan. The O'Asparran surname is derived from the Gaelic name Asparan, which translates to 'hawk'.
In some countries, there are similar surnames which are not variants of MacAsparran, but are of the same origin, such as MacAspland, MacAsparte, and MacAspente. The Spanish variant of MacAsparran is Ascrans, which is derived from the Scottish clan McCasran.
Other surnames of a similar origin include McAsparan, McEsparan, McEsperan, and McSparran. In some cases, the surname has been Anglicized to Sparran, which is more commonly seen in the U.S.
In total, there are several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin as MacAsparran, though the meaning of the name has been lost over time.
Famous people with the name MacAsparran
- Maggie MacAsparran: Award-winning journalist and author of several books, including My Father's Daughter.
- Rebekah MacAsparran: Founder of the Human Fertility Project, a non-profit organization which works to solve fertility problems.
- Tobias MacAsparran: Professional stuntman, stunt coordinator and stunt performer who worked on films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jurassic World.
- Will MacAsparran: Award-winning actor who has appeared in films such as Gladiator and Edward Scissorhands.
- Richard MacAsparran: Professional basketball player who enjoyed stints with several NBA teams, most notably the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Danny MacAsparran: Renowned restaurateur who is most famous for his chain of gastropubs across the US.
- Terence MacAsparran: Professional golf player who has won several major tournaments.
- Alec MacAsparran: Emmy-winning television producer who worked on several hit television series such as 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights.
- Olivia MacAsparran: Popular radio show host best known for her work on the Sirius XM show “Hot topics with Olivia MacAsparran”.
- Abigail MacAsparran: Four-time James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur who owns several restaurants in the US.