Surname MacIlwaine - Meaning and Origin
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MacIlwaine: What does the surname MacIlwaine mean?
The last name MacIlwaine is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic elements ‘mac’ which means ‘son of’ and ‘il’ meaning ‘wil’. Therefore, it can be translated to mean “son of the servant of will”. The surname likely originated in the Western Highlands where it may have been linked to an ancestor who was a servant or a tenant of a nobleman.
The name is often found in counties Antrim and Down in Northern Ireland, as well as the coastal counties of Donegal and Mayo in the west of Ireland. There is also a Scottish variant of the name – MacIlwian – which is found mainly in the Northern Isles of the Orkney and Shetland.
Regardless of its regional differences, the MacIlwaine name has long been associated with loyalty and service. It suggests that the bearer of the name may have been a taskmaster, someone who was responsible for completing an important task or mission. It is also associated with a strong sense of honor and commitment, indicating that the holder of the name would be sincere, trustworthy, and hardworking.
In modern times, the surname MacIlwaine continues to represent an unwavering commitment to family and community, along with strength of character and an unshakeable loyalty to friends and loved ones. For these reasons, it continues to be a source of pride for those who bear it today.
Order DNA origin analysisMacIlwaine: Where does the name MacIlwaine come from?
The last name MacIlwaine is most commonly found in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the United States. It is believed that the name MacIlwaine is of Scottish origin and derived from the Gaelic Mac Gille Mhaoilmhuidh, which means 'son of the follower of the chief'.
In Scotland, the name may be found in counties including Aberdeenshire, Argyllshire and Ross and Cromarty. In Northern Ireland, the name is most widely distributed in Belfast, County Down and County Antrim.
In the United States, the name is particularly strong in the states of Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and California. The highest concentrations of people with the surname are located in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Seattle and Portland.
The name MacIlwaine is less common in other countries outside of the U.K and U.S For instance, there are only a few occurrences of the name found in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The names MacElwaine, McElwaine and MacIlwane are associated with the last name MacIlwaine. Variations on the spelling have been found to some extent in all countries mentioned above.
Variations of the surname MacIlwaine
MacIlwaine is an anglicised version of the Gaelic surname Mac Giolla Eáin which is derived from the personal name Giolla Eáin. This surname translates to English as “servant of John”. It is primarily found in Ireland with many variants including McIllwain, McElwain, McElwaine, MacIlwain, MacIllwaine, MacIlwaine and others. In Scotland, MacIlwaine is sometimes used as an alternate spelling for MacGille Eoin which is also derived from the same Gaelic name Giolla Eáin.
The MacIlwaine surname is also sometimes seen as Macgilwain or Macgillwain, but these spellings are far less common. In Wales, a variant of the surname MacIlwaine is McElwine.
In other countries, this surname may be written as Ilwain, Elwain, Ilwaine, Elwaine, Illwain, Illwaine and MacIlwain as well. At times, the variant spellings and surnames are used interchangeably, depending on geographic location and popular usage in a particular area.
Generations of people are proud to bear the MacIlwaine name, descended from the servant of John. Although there are many different spellings and variants of this surname, they all trace back to the same origin and ancestral roots.
Famous people with the name MacIlwaine
- Samuel MacIlwaine– Professor of International Politics at Princeton University.
- William MacIlwaine– Former President of the National Education Association.
- Ross MacIlwaine– Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bechtel Corporation.
- John MacIlwaine– Former United States Navy admiral.
- Edwin MacIlwaine– British-Canadian actor, director, playwright, and producer.
- Angus MacIlwaine– Former head of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
- James MacIlwaine– British television producer and director.
- Simon MacIlwaine– Professor of Computer Science at the University of Hull.
- Robert MacIlwaine– Former Chief of Protocol of the United States.
- Stewart MacIlwaine– Former President and CEO of Kraft Foods.