Surname MacBeolain - Meaning and Origin
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MacBeolain: What does the surname MacBeolain mean?
The last name MacBeolain has Scottish origins, derived from the Gaelic language. It has many potential meanings, including ‘son of Beolan’ or ‘son of Belenus’. In Celtic mythology, Belenus was known as the god of life and light, who was associated with the summer solstice.
The modern Scottish spelling of the name is MacBheulaon, which roughly translates to ‘son of mercy’. Alternatively, it could mean ‘son of flaming eyes’ in reference to Belenus or ‘son of beautiful youth’.
Those with the MacBeolain surname are believed to be descendants of an ancient Gaelic clan, the Clan Maceoln. This clan was located in Argyll in western Scotland, and was aligned with the larger Clan Campbell. At one time, the Maceoln clan owned a number of estates across the region before their lands were taken by the Campbells in the 1500s.
Today, MacBeolain is most often seen as a surname in Scotland and around the world. As it is still found in Argyll, this suggests it is still carried on by those descended from the ancient Maceoln clan, and their descendants continue to carry on their unique legacy.
Order DNA origin analysisMacBeolain: Where does the name MacBeolain come from?
The surname MacBeolain is most common in Ireland and Scotland today. It is a variant spelling of the Irish surname MacGibbon, which is an anglicised form of the Irish surname MacGiobúin. It is derived from the Irish words "mac", meaning "son of", and Giobúin, which is a personal name meaning ‘victorious’.
The MacBeolain surname has also been found quite prominently in Australia and the US, with many of these families having their roots in the Irish diaspora. In Australia, it is a relatively common name with many spellings, including MacBeolain (MacGibbon), MacGibben, MacGibbinnie, MacGibbin, and MacGibbinne.
In the US, the surname was brought in the 1700s by the Scottish-Irish settlers, who came primarily from the Ulster province of Northern Ireland. In the 1800s a large influx of Irish immigrants entered the country, and with them they brought the surname MacBeolain. Today, there are hundreds of people with this surname in the US, with many living in major cities such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
The surname MacBeolain is still fairly common today in the countries it originates from, and has spread to other countries with people who have their roots in the Irish diaspora.
Variations of the surname MacBeolain
The surname MacBeolain has a few variants and spellings, such as MacBeolan, MacBealan, McBeolan and McBealan, as well as numerous other derivative surnames.
MacBeolain is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic language, which originated in the 12th century. The earliest record of this name may be seen in the Annals of Ulster, which documents the death of the king of Ulaid named "Aed macc Baoilain" in 1116 AD.
In Gaelic, MacBeolain can be loosely defined as "son of Beolain" or “son of a wolf”. This surname is likely be related to the name Beau or Bo, meaning beautiful.
Other surnames or variants of MacBeolain include MacBealaine, MacBealan, MacBehler, MacBalen, McBailance, and MacBeelar. There are other surnames that are derived from MacBeolain such as Beeler, Beeles, Beelan, Beilis, Beilon, Beiles, Beilin, and Beilinson.
Finally, other spellings from the British Isles, such as MakBeolan, include polonization of the surname as MakBolain, MakBulain, Bulain and MakBolin.
This surname is found mostly in present-day Ireland, but also in Scotland, and other parts of Britain.
Famous people with the name MacBeolain
- Seán Mac Beoláin, Irish broadcaster
- Diarmuid Mac Beoláin, Irish actor and screenwriter
- Pól Mac Beoláin, Irish actor and director
- Friar Tuck MacBeolain, fictional character in Robin Hood
- Val MacBeolain, fictional character from the Girl Genius comic series
- Morris MacBeolain, fictional character from the comics The Spectre and Detective Comics
- Marcos MacBeolain, fictional character from the TV series Charmed
- Dawson MacBeolain, character from the movie Dimples
- Joseph MacBeolain, character from the TV series Frasier
- Micah MacBeolain, character from the TV series The Vampire Diaries