Surname McClennan - Meaning and Origin

McClennan: What does the surname McClennan mean?

The last name McClennan is of Scottish origin and it means "son of Finnan." The "Mac" part translates to "son of," and "Clennan" is a version of the Gaelic name "Fionnlagh" or "Finnan," which means "fair" or "white." The name is often associated with the ancient Scottish clan system, specifically with the Highland Clan MacLennan. The McClennan or MacLennan clan descended from the ancient Earls of Ross and their history dates back to at least the 13th century. Today, the name is still popular in Scotland and has also spread to other parts of the world, particularly in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia due to historical Scottish migration. However, variations in the spelling of the last name exist across different regions and countries.

McClennan: Where does the name McClennan come from?

The surname McClennan is of Scottish origin. It derives from the Gaelic Mac Gille Fhinnein meaning "son of the follower of St Finnan". This surname is associated with the Scottish Highlands and particularly linked to the Isle of Skye. Variations of this surname include MacLennan, McLennan, MacLellan, MacClelland and many others.

The departure of migrants during the Highland Clearances of the 19th century, seeking better living conditions, spread the McClennan surname to other English-speaking countries. Today, this surname is most common in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Within the United States, it's especially prevalent in states with significant populations of Scottish and Irish descent like New York, Pennsylvania, and New England. Despite its spread, this surname is still not very common and is ranked as the 140,865th most common surname in the world.

Variations of the surname McClennan

The name McClennan is of Scottish origin and is derived from a Gaelic personal name "Mac Gille Fhinnein" meaning "son of the servant of St Finnian". This surname can be spelled in various ways due to its phonetic translation from Gaelic into English. Variants and alternative spellings include MacLennan, McLenan, McLennan, McLennin, and McLendon.

McLennan is also the anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Gille Fhinnein which is itself a patronymic form (created from a paternal name) of the personal name Fionnán, a diminutive of 'fionn' meaning 'white' or 'fair'. The prefixes "Mc" and "Mac" are interchangeable and both mean "son of". Given these factors, the surname could also be spelled as MacLenan, MacLennin, MacLendon, etc.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling of the same original surname are very common due to regional differences, dialects and the use of nicknames. So, it's possible for there to be many additional variations of the name McClennan. Moreover, due to migrations and anglicization, other completely different sounding surnames might also be of the same origin.

Famous people with the name McClennan

• John McLennan: Canadian comedian and former member of the comedy duo Wayne and Shuster
• Jeff McLennan: American musician and songwriter, leader of the band Little Feat
• Brad McLennan: American National Hockey League player
• C. Peter McLennan: American businessman, former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Edusoft
• Emma McLennan: Australian executive producer and co-founder of Screen Australia’s Ozflix
• Tim McLennan: Canadian professional wrestler who performs under the ring name Tyson Davidson
• Dawn McLennan: Canadian author of science fiction and fantasy, winner of Aurora Awards
• Ally McLennan: Canadian professional soccer player
• Juliette McLennan: Australian Paralympic swimmer
• Malcolm McLennan: Scottish businessman and former Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen City
• Duncan McLennan: Scottish golfer and Ryder Cup participant
• Bruce McLennan: Canadian pastor, former General Secretary of the World Methodist Council
• Andrew McLennan: New Zealand actor and writer, best known for his role as Angus McLeod in the television series ‘Outrageous Fortune’
• Siobhan McLennan: Canadian figure skater, two-time Canadian Senior Ladies bronze medallist

Other surnames

McClennonMcClenny