Surname MacPhie - Meaning and Origin
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MacPhie: What does the surname MacPhie mean?
The surname MacPhie is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhuibhshíthe," which translates to "son of Duibhshith." The name Duibhshith itself is a combination of two elements: "Dubh" meaning "black" or "dark," and "sith" relating to peace. Therefore, the last name MacPhie could be interpreted to mean "son of the dark peace." It's also possible that "Dhuibhshíthe" was a personal name. The spelling of the surname has evolved over the centuries and also appears in forms like McFie, MacPhee, or MacFie. The MacPhies were originally associated with the Scottish region of Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides, and the name is still prevalent in Scotland today. However, due to historical migration and diaspora, the surname can now be found in various parts of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisMacPhie: Where does the name MacPhie come from?
The surname MacPhie is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "MacDhuibhshíthe", which translates to "Son of the Dark Fairy". The first documented presence of this name was found in Colonsay, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, around the early 16th century. The MacPhies were traditionally known as the chiefs of Colonsay.
Today, the name MacPhie is relatively uncommon. However, it is most frequently found in Scotland and other countries with a significant Scottish diaspora such as Canada, the United States (particularly in New England), Australia, and New Zealand. A concentration of people bearing this surname can also be found in the UK region. Over time, variations such as McPhee and MacPhee have also emerged.
Variations of the surname MacPhie
The surname MacPhie is of Scottish origin. The name's root traces back to Gaelic, derived from the personal name Duibhshíth, which means "black peace". It is believed to be a branch of the larger MacDuff clan, one of the original Scottish clans.
There have been several variations and spellings of this surname throughout history due to phonetic spellings, regional accents, and translation between languages. Some variants of the surname MacPhie include: McPhee, MacPhee, McFie, MacFie, McPhie, and Maffie. Phonetic changes to the name led to other transformations like MacFey, MacDuffee, and MacHugh.
Many times, the Mac or Mc prefixes (meaning "son of") have been dropped entirely. This leads to potentially related surnames such as Phee, Fie, Phie, and others. Variations on these names could also include an additional 'c' or 'k', resulting in names like McKie or Mackie.
Occasionally, variations come about through translation into English. For instance, we can find the name “Black” in some family trees of MacPhies/MacPhees, since Duff means black in Gaelic.
Some surnames of similar origin that may be effectively related, albeit distantly, are MacDuff, MacAfee, and Duffy.
Famous people with the name MacPhie
- Chantel MacPhie: Canadian actress known for her roles in the film Spasms and the television series Street Legal.
- Mackenzie MacPhie: film and television producer, actress, and writer.
- Kyle MacPhie: Canadian actor, comedian, and writer.
- Mairi MacPhie: Canadian voice actress.
- Kirsten MacPhie: Canadian singer and songwriter.
- Tanya MacPhie: Canadian acoustic guitarist, flautist, and vocalist.
- Sydney MacPhie: Canadian producer, director, screenwriter, and actor.
- Rolanda MacPhie: Canadian singer and composer.
- Kendra MacPhie: Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer.
- Owen MacDonald MacPhie: British actor and screenwriter.