Surname MacPhilemy - Meaning and Origin
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MacPhilemy: What does the surname MacPhilemy mean?
The last name MacPhilemy is derived from the Irish language, specifically the Gaelic phrase "Mac an Philosamháin" which literally translates to "son of the beloved one". It is believed that this surname started being used in Ireland in the 16th century and soon began to spread throughout the surrounding countries of Britain and Scotland.
The meaning of MacPhilemy is symbolic of the notion of a loving and supportive family connection. This nickname served to signify the bond between a father and son, and the pride of having a strong and honorable family line. In contrast to the Irish history behind this surname, many stories surrounding the MacPhilemy family origin have been reconstructed and documented by yearwood.org which tells tales of bravery and love.
The roots of this surname seem to trace back to a place in County Donegal where the original MacPhilemy family lived, and it was from there that it spread throughout Ireland and the rest of Britain. Today, MacPhilemy is a popular Irish surname with its roots in Ireland and Scotland. It is used by many modern-day families, not only in Ireland, but in the US and other countries as well, who want to pay tribute to their ancestral roots and the strong, bonding connections of their families.
Order DNA origin analysisMacPhilemy: Where does the name MacPhilemy come from?
The last name MacPhilemy is most commonly found in Scotland and Northern Ireland today. It is an ancient Scottish surname that can trace its roots back to the Kingdom of Dalriada, which, at one point, controlled areas such as Argyll, Antrim, and Down.
The surname translates to "son of Phelim," where Phelim is derived from "Failbhe" or "Failbe," a name meaning "wolf." This could indicate that the original bearers of the name were descended from a legendary wolf of the north, which was believed to bring good tidings and prosperity to the family.
The MacPhilemy surname is still relatively common in Scotland and Ireland today, although it is likely not as commonly found as it was centuries ago. In Scotland, the top five counties that the surname is found in include Perthshire, Stirlingshire, Selkirkshire, Kinross-shire, and Angus. In Northern Ireland, the counties of Antrim, Down and Belfast have the highest occurrences of the name.
The MacPhilemy name is common among members of the Clan Gregor, an ancient Highland clan from Argyll in Western Scotland, which is a possible explanation for why the surname is more prevalent in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
All in all, the last name MacPhilemy is still relatively common in Scotland and Northern Ireland today, although it is likely not as commonly found as it was centuries ago. It is an ancient Scottish surname that can trace its roots back to the Kingdom of Dalriada and is still prevalent among members of the Clan Gregor from Argyll.
Variations of the surname MacPhilemy
The surname MacPhilemy is a Scottish clan name and is derived from the Gaelic MacPhilmhiadh which translates to “Son of the Servant of God”. Depending on the region of Scotland the spelling of this surname can vary, as is common for many other Scottish clan surnames.
The variants of MacPhilemy are MacPhilimy, MacPhilemie, MacPhilmie, MacPhelmie, MacPhelim, MacPhailimy, MacPhailmie, MacPhilimie, MacPhelimey, MacPhelimy, MacFhelimy, MacFhailimy, and MacFhilimy.
The spellings for MacPhilemy are Philemy, Filimy, Philimy, Phelimey, Phelimy, Fhelimy, Fhailimy, Fhilimy.
The surnames of the same origin as MacPhilemy are MacPhimie, MacPhailmy, MacPharlamy, MacPhilip, MacPheden, MacPhoy, MacPhimmie, MacPsimmons, MacPherson, and MacPhelan.
All of these surnames stem from the Scottish but a wider spread of spelling variants of the surname are found all over Ireland, adding to that the many surnames of similar origin.
All of the variations of the MacPhilemy family name are found throughout Scotland and Ireland, and with the original MacPhilmhiadh meaning “Son of the Servant of God”, these different spellings and surnames have been adopted by unrelated individuals, families, clans, and tribes throughout these countries. The original meaning is still held dear to many MacPhilemy families across the globe.
Famous people with the name MacPhilemy
- Jill MacPhilemy: an award-winning Dublin-born actress best known for playing Queen Cleopatra in the 2008 stage production of Antony and Cleopatra.
- Danny MacPhilemy: Irish professional footballer who played for St Kevin’s Boys of Dublin and was a member of the national side during the 1992 UEFA European Championship.
- Aoife MacPhilemy: a leading Irish visual artist whose sculptures link themes of body and gender which have been on display in Dublin, Milan and London.
- Sally MacPhilemy: a well-known Irish singer who won Best New Artist at the 2006 Meteor Music Awards and has released five albums.
- Mike MacPhilemy: a British-born chef who was voted Chef of the Year in 2015 by the Chefs Academy and hosts a weekly cooking show on BBC One.
- David MacPhilemy: an Academy Award-winning composer and musician, David is best known for providing the original music score for the award-winning Irish film Once.
- Dan MacPhilemy: an Irish screenwriter and producer who has written and directed several films for both film and television, including the critically acclaimed In the Name of the Father.
- Christopher MacPhilemy: a London-based actor, Christopher was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in the critically acclaimed stage production of Oedipus.
- Martin MacPhilemy: an independent healing practitioner based in Cork, Martin specialises in a range of healing therapies ranging from energy work to massage.
- Leslie MacPhilemy: an international ballroom and Latin dancer, Leslie competed at the world championships in 2009 and is highly regarded within the industry.