Surname MacElhatton - Meaning and Origin
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MacElhatton: What does the surname MacElhatton mean?
MacElhatton is an Irish surname of Gaelic origin. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Giolla Chatáin" which is translated to "son of the servant or devotee of St. Catan". The prefix "Mac" denotes "son of" and "Giolla" refers to "servant or devotee". Saint Catan was a Scottish bishop who lived in the 7th and 8th centuries. Therefore, the surname bears religious significance indicating the family's patron saint. This surname predominantly spread during the Middle Ages throughout areas now recognized as modern-day Northern Ireland. Like many surnames, over centuries and generations, the name has underwent several spelling variations including McElhatton, McElhatten, and others. Despite these changes, the surname managed to preserve its original meaning.
Order DNA origin analysisMacElhatton: Where does the name MacElhatton come from?
The last name MacElhatton is of Irish origin and it comes from the Gaelic Mac Giolla Chatáin, meaning "son of the servant of St. Catan." The surname is derived from a patronymic system where "Mac" translates to "son of," and is typically followed by the name of a saint to whom the family had a particular devotion. As with many Irish surnames, the original spelling and pronunciation were anglicized over time, resulting in the current form MacElhatton.
The MacElhatton name is not as widely spread today as other Irish surnames and its bearers can mostly be found in Northern Ireland since it originated from the county of Ulster, where the family held a family seat from ancient times. However, due to emigration especially during the Irish potato famine in the 19th century, some bearers of the MacElhatton surname can also be found in places like the United States, Canada, Australia, and England. Nevertheless, it still remains relatively rare outside Ireland.
Variations of the surname MacElhatton
The surname MacElhatton is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Mac Giolla Chatáin, which is anglicized as MacElhatton. This name suggests a familial connection to someone who was a servant of Saint Catan.
But, like many surnames that originated from Gaelic, MacElhatton has been spelled in a multitude of ways over the centuries, particularly as families migrated and phonetic spellings evolved in different geographic regions. Variants and alternate spellings of the name include McElhatton, McIlhatton, Mcllhatton, McElhattan, McIlhattan, and McElhaton.
These variations can often all trace their origin back to the same original name but it is also worth noting that the political and cultural limitations of record-keeping throughout history means that some variations may have been developed separately. In addition to this, the name has been shortened in some families to Hatton, Elhatton, or other similar variants.
The prefix "Mac" or "Mc" in the surname is a common element in Gaelic-origin names, denoting "son of". So, other surnames that begin with these prefixes may be of the same origin, but do not always denote the same familial lineage. E.g. The spelling McElhatton may have the same origin but denote a different branch of the family.
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