Surname MacGiver - Meaning and Origin
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MacGiver: What does the surname MacGiver mean?
The last name MacGiver is a Scottish Clan surname, derived from the Gaelic words mac and gabhann, meaning ‘son of the smith.’
Historically, Smiths were highly-regarded craftsmen in Scotland, and were renowned for their skill in fashioning arms, armor, and other metal objects. Smiths were an integral part of medieval and Renaissance-era life, and were held in the highest esteem by their feudal lords.
The MacGivers were a well-known and influential clan in Scotland during the Middle Ages, and they are thought to have descended from a familial line of armorers and metal workers. The name is associated with power and strength, in particular with a fierce dedication to their relatives and clansmen.
In addition, the name MacGiver also has ties to the ancient Pictish culture of Scotland, with archaeological records of the MacGiver family's presence in Scotland tracing back as far as the 5th century AD.
In modern times, the MacGiver surname can still be found in Scotland, though its prevalence is not as great as before. At the same time, many modern-day members of the MacGiver family have spread to other countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, contributing to a large diaspora of MacGiver descendants living all around the world.
Order DNA origin analysisMacGiver: Where does the name MacGiver come from?
The last name MacGiver is most commonly associated with Scotland and Ireland today, as this is where the surname originated. The surname MacGiver first appears in Scotland in the 12th century, and this lineage was most likely Norman in origin. The MacGiver family traditionally held land and titles in Scotland, and their influence grew in areas such as Ayrshire, Carrick, and Fife.
As many MacGiver families left Scotland for Ireland during the 17th century as part of the Ulster Plantation, the surname can now be found predominantly throughout Ulster in Northern Ireland. The Ulster Plantation was an English initiative to encourage Protestant Scottish and English settlers to relocate to Ireland, and encouraged the migration of large numbers of Scottish people all over the country, resulting in MacGiver families now being settled all across Ireland.
Many MacGivers also emigrated to the USA, particularly towards the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The most popular states to find this surname are Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and Minnesota.
Today, the surname MacGiver is still most commonly associated with Scotland and Ireland, although its influence has spread across the world due to emigration. The spread of its influence resulted in MacGiver families now being found in various countries and locations all over the world.
Variations of the surname MacGiver
The name MacGiver is an anglicization of the Irish-Gaelic surname Mac an Ghabhair, derived from the word gabhar meaning ‘goat’. This surname is most commonly found in Scotland, with a smaller presence in Ireland. There are many variants of this surname, including MacGeever, Magiver, MacKeever, MacGeevor, Gillespie, and Givens.
In Scotland, MacGiver is most commonly spelled as MacGivar. It may also be written as MacGeever or McGeever. In Irish, the name is often spelled as MacKeever or Magiver, with the prefix ‘Mac’ often dropped. The variants and spellings of MacGiver could often be found within the same family tree, as surname variations tended to develop over time.
The variant MacGeevor also exists, though this is more commonly found in Ireland. It is a combination of the words ‘Mac’ and ‘Ghabhair’, and the ‘Geevor’ part of the surname is believed to be a corruption of the word ‘Ghabhair’.
Other variations of the surname include Gillespie, Givens, Geever, and Geewer. Givens is believed to be the English version of MacGeevor, and Gillespie is the Scottish version of the original name.
No matter the variant or spelling, all of these names derive from the Gaelic root word, ‘gabhar’, which means ‘goat’. As such, it is highly likely that they all began with the same family, and that the original name was Mac an Ghabhair.
Famous people with the name MacGiver
- Angus MacGiver, Scottish actor
- MacGyver MacGiver, fictional P.I. from the TV series MacGyver
- Miles MacGiver, American politician and former Governor of Massachusetts
- Brandon MacGiver, British royal family member
- Ian MacGiver, British actor
- Rory MacGiver, Scottish actor
- Ty Pennington MacGiver, American home improvement TV host
- Ben MacGiver, British actor
- Lucy MacGiver, American political commentator
- Jane MacGiver, British author
- Paul MacGiver, Scottish actor
- Kate MacGiver, Australian news anchor
- Thomas MacGiver, Irish playwright
- Raymond MacGiver, American military leader
- Harry MacGiver, British actor
- Molly MacGiver, Canadian actress
- Grant MacGiver, American business executive