Surname Mackaay - Meaning and Origin
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Mackaay: What does the surname Mackaay mean?
The surname Mackaay is derived from an old Gaelic personal name, Mac Aodha, meaning “son of Aodh”. This name was taken from the word “aedh” meaning “fire”, and “mac” which means “son of”.
The first recorded spelling of the surname Mackaay was in the 16th century with the use of the personal name Mac Aodha. During this period, the name was primarily found in the southwest of Scotland. The name was used to denote the family of origin of the bearer.
The surname Mackaay appears to be an Anglicized form of Mac Aodha, derived from the Gaelic language. It is of patronymic origin, meaning someone whose surname was formed by the addition of the Gaelic “mac” and the given name “Aodh” which was a popular given name due to the popularity of the Irish saint and storyteller Aodh.
The Mackaay surname is associated with many prominent families throughout Scotland. The Clan Mackaay is one of the most well-known of the modern day Scottish clans. Their crest bears a stag’s head and the motto “Veritas Vincit”, which translates as “truth conquers”.
The Mackaay surname is therefore associated with a prominent and well-respected Scottish family of old. As the name grows in popularity, the original Scottish roots of this Gaelic surname still remains most strongly represented by the Clan Mackaay of today.
Order DNA origin analysisMackaay: Where does the name Mackaay come from?
The last name Mackaay is most commonly found in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Records indicate that Mackaay is one of the oldest of Scottish surnames, though its exact origin remains unknown.
The Mackaay name is distinct, appearing in numerous documents as far back as the 1600s. Spelling variations range from MacAye to MacKaye, Mackay and Mackaay.
A vast majority of Mackaays today are present in Scotland, particularly in the North and East Coast regions such as Orkney, Aberdeenshire, and Moray. There are also many Mackaay families living in Canada, over 2,000 of which are located in Nova Scotia.
The Isle of Skye in Scotland is an especially significant region for the Mackaay name. The first Mackaay on record to settle the island was Hew MacKay of Assynt in Sutherlandshire, who was granted land on the Isle of Skye in 1597. His descendants continued to populate the region throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.
The prominence of the Mackaay name is evident in the presence of numerous placenames associated with the family, ranging from Wick and Inverness in the North, to Ontario and Caledonia in Canada. It is also thought that the small settlement of Mackaay in Ontario, Canada is named after the Mackaay family.
Today, the last name Mackaay is widely recognized in the British Isles and Canada, a testament to the family's long history and legacy.
Variations of the surname Mackaay
Mackaay is a surname of Scottish origin meaning “son of Aodh”, a Gaelic word for fire. Alternatives, variants, and spellings of the same origin are McKay, MacKee, Mackey, MacKay, and MacKie. All of these names are derived from the same Scottish clan and share the same history and meaning.
One of the earliest clans to be recorded in Scotland are the Mckee’s of Argyll and Bute. This clan traces its ancestry to King Niall of Tara, the High King of Ireland in the 5th century. The McKee’s name is found throughout medieval documents including the Scottish Exchequer Rolls in the 13th century and the Ragman Rolls of the late 13th century.
The MacKay clan dates back to the 12th century when an ancestor, Aodh, converted to Christianity and adopted the clan name Mackay. During the late 14th century and early 15th century, the MacKay’s were a powerful family in their native Scotland and spread throughout the Hebrides and the Scottish Highlands.
The Mackey clan traces its heritage to the Irish High Kings. The family immigrated to Scotland from Ireland before 1172 and was very influential in medieval Scotland and the Scottish Borders.
The various spellings of the Mackaay surname demonstrate the differences in pronouncing the name in different countries and regions. These spellings offer English and Scottish descendants the connection with the medieval Mackaay clan from which their family hails.
Famous people with the name Mackaay
- Alisa MacKay: actor, known for her performance in the movie, The Grudge
- Brad MacKay: former Canadian professional hockey player
- Bob MacKay: Canadian writer and creator of the CBC Radio comedy series, The Mystery Room
- Brody MacKay: Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- Alanis MacKay: Canadian actress, dancer, and choreographer
- Nick MacKay: New Zealand rugby league coach
- Angus MacKay: Australian judge and former attorney-general
- Lucas MacKay: Canadian professional soccer player
- Cordelia MacKay: Canadian politician and former Member of Parliament
- Stewart MacKay: Scottish minister of the Church of Scotland and Moderator of General Assembly 1995/96