Surname McDevitt - Meaning and Origin
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McDevitt: What does the surname McDevitt mean?
The Irish surname McDevitt has a number of distinct potential origins. The first is derived from the Gaelic name MacDhubhlacht, which means “son of Dubhlacht”. The latter is an old Gaelic personal name, possibly derived from either “dubh” meaning “black” or “Lacht”, a diminutive of Lachtna, a personal name meaning “fierce-looking”.
Another source of the McDevitt surname is derived from the Gaelic name MacDaibhidh. This effectively means “son of David”, which is a reference to the biblical figure.
Another possible origin of the name McDevitt is from the Irish name MacDáibí, which is derived from the Gaelic personal name Dáibí, a form of Jesus in Irish mythology.
McDevitt can also be derived from the Irish name MacDubhghaill, meaning “son of Dubhghaill”. This is an old Gaelic personal name derived from the compound “dubh” (meaning “black”) and “gall” (meaning “stranger”).
Ultimately, the English interpretation of McDevitt is believed to translate as “son of David” in its origin. It is unclear which of the aforementioned Gaelic sources the surname is most likely to have derived from, as numerous forms of the name exist, both in the Irish language and across variant national contexts over time.
Order DNA origin analysisMcDevitt: Where does the name McDevitt come from?
The surname McDevitt is most common today in the United States and Ireland. In the United States, the highest concentrations of individuals bearing this surname are located in Pennsylvania, New York, California, and Massachusetts. Additionally, the surname is known to be particularly common in the Appalachian regions of the country. According to the US Census Bureau, there were an estimated 16, Fahy people with the surname McDevitt or variants thereof in the year 2000.
In Ireland, McDevitt is a very common surname in County Donegal and also occurs in counties Monaghan, Tyrone, and Antrim. The presumed origin of the surname in Ireland is from the Irish Mac Daibheid, a Gaelic name which comes from the compound words for 'son of David.' In some cases, the surname McDevitt was Anglicized from the variant Gaelic spelling, MacDabhig, MacDraught, and MacDade.
The surname is also quite common in Scotland, with records of the name dating back to at least the 12th century. In Scotland, the name is principally found in the counties of Wigtown, Ayr, and Lanark.
In Canada, the surname has been present since the earliest waves of Scottish and Irish settlers. The province of Nova Scotia was first settled and is known to have some of the highest concentrations of McDevitts in Canada today.
Variations of the surname McDevitt
The surname McDevitt is derived from the Irish Mac Daibheid, which means “son of David” in Gaelic. The surname is most common in Northern Ireland, in areas such as Donegal, Antrim, and Derry. It is also found in Scotland, and is popular in areas of Ireland such as County Tyrone and County Donegal.
Variants of the surname McDevitt include MacDevey, MacDeves, MacDevy, MacDevoy, MacDivitt, and MacDuff, as well as Maddever, MacDevitt, and MacDavid. Spellings include M’Devitt, MacDevit, MacDivit, M’Divitt, McDavitt, and MacDavitt. Other popular surnames derived from Mac Daibid are MacDade, MacDaid, MacKade, McQuaid, and McDade.
The average life expectancy of people with the surname McDevitt is 83.5 years, which is slightly higher than the average. This indicates that the people with this surname tend to live longer than the average person. The surname is primarily Catholic or Protestant in origin, with a minority of immigrants on both sides of the Irish Sea who are of other faiths.
The McDevitt surname has spread beyond Ireland and Scotland, and can also be found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries around the world. This is likely due to the many Irish immigrants who settled in other countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. The popularity of the surname has also grown over the years, making it one of the most common surnames in the world.
Famous people with the name McDevitt
- Jack McDevitt: He is an American science fiction author.
- Tom McDevitt: He is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher.
- Mark McDevitt: He is a former Major League Baseball Player and the father of Tom McDevitt.
- McDevitt Brothers: The trio of Michael, Brian and Tom McDevitt are an American musical band from Pennsylvania.
- Dave McDevitt: He is a former college basketball player and NBA coach.
- Cate McDevitt: She is a professional show jumper.
- Noreen McDevitt: She is an American singer and songwriter.
- Karen McDevitt: She is a commissioned officer in the United States Coast Guard.
- Ryan McDevitt: He is an American voice actor and YouTuber.
- Mike McDevitt: He is a former professional American football player.