Surname MacKermode - Meaning and Origin
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MacKermode: What does the surname MacKermode mean?
The last name MacKermode originates from Scotland and Ireland. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic personal name MacGriogair, which in turn is composed of the elements mac (son of) and Griogair (Gregor). This name is often anglicized to MacGregor or McGreggor.
MacKermode is an alternate spelling of MacGriogair. From the early 1600s to the early 1800s, dialect and spelling conventions varied widely from region to region in the British Isles, so one family might adopt one spelling of their surname while another family adopted a slightly different spelling. This is why there are so many variations of the same name.
The MacKermode family is thought to descend from an old Scottish clan, with records indicating some members of the clan living in Ayrshire from at least the 16th century. More recently, however, the name has also been associated with County Donegal in Ireland.
Today, the surname MacKermode is widely dispersed throughout Scotland and Ireland, but is also found on other continents due to 19th-century emigration. Despite its relatively small numbers, the surname is growing in popularity, with MacKermodes now found all over the globe.
Order DNA origin analysisMacKermode: Where does the name MacKermode come from?
The last name MacKermode is most common in the British Isles today. While its exact origin is uncertain, most agree that the name MacKermode is of Scottish-Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic MacGiuirmóid, first recorded in Galloway in the 13th century.
Over the centuries, the MacKermode surname would've spread throughout the islands, particularly after Irish families immigrated to Scotland in the 16th century, and continued with Scots settling in Ireland throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, MacKermode is more a Scottish than an Irish name. In Great Britain in 2019, there were around 250 MacKermode households in England, 2,400 in Scotland, and 40 in Wales. In Northern Ireland, there were an estimated 100 MacKermode households in the same year.
Outside the British Isles, the surname MacKermode is relatively rare, though there are small pockets of MacKermode descendants throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand mostly descended from Scots or Irish immigrants.
Variations of the surname MacKermode
MacKermode (also MACKermod, MacKermot, MacKervoide, Mackrecommode, MacKermodie) is a surname of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Old Gaelic Mac GhiollaChomhrdha which roughly translates as 'son of God's servant'.
Variations of the surname MacKermode include MacKermod, MacKieve, MacKermot, MacKervoide, Mackrecommode and MacKermodie. The origins of the variations are mostly attributed to the evolution of Gaelic spellings as the language has changed over time.
In Scotland, the name is known as the 'clan Kermode', or more usually, 'Clan MacKermode'. This is derived from the Old Gaelic Mac GhiollaChomhrdha which means 'son of God's servant'. The family is nearly extinct in Scotland today and is instead found mainly in Ireland and north Wales. Variations of the surname, such as MacKermodie and MacKerveoide, have correspondingly emerged in Ireland, Scotland, and north Wales respectively.
The variations of the name can also be found in North America and Australia. The name can take on new spellings as it arrives in new counties, leading to the evolution of multiple variations of the surname.
The name MacKermode is found in various combinations in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and North America. The variations of the surname are an interesting reflection of how the language has evolved, and have led to the emergence of multiple spellings of the same name.
Famous people with the name MacKermode
- Ryan MacKermode, professional soccer player
- Pippy MacKermode, Canadian professional tennis player
- John MacKermode, British athlete, footballer and rugby union international
- Will MacKermode, English actor
- Jim MacKermode, British organist and composer
- Kerry MacKermode, Britain's first female Admiral
- Emily MacKermode, award-winning Canadian actress
- Bob MacKermode, British professional golfer
- Josh MacKermode, Canadian ice hockey player
- Julia MacKermode, English professor at University College London
- Dave MacKermode, Australian professional surfer
- Paul MacKermode, award-winning British photographer
- Roger MacKermode, an English meteorologist and challenger of global warming
- Nicholas MacKermode, Canadian businessman and social entrepreneur
- William MacKermode, influential Scottish architect