Surname McHendry - Meaning and Origin
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McHendry: What does the surname McHendry mean?
The surname McHendry is of Scottish origin. It is a derived form of the given name Henry, with the prefix "Mc" which signifies son of. Thus, McHendry essentially means "son of Henry". The use of patronymic surnames like McHendry was common in Scotland, where surnames often reflected an individual's immediate lineage. The given name Henry itself means "home ruler", coming from the Germanic name Heinrich. The surname McHendry and its variants are predominantly found in Scotland, specifically, the counties of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, and is also used by some families in Northern Ireland. These surnames have gone through various spellings over time, including Hendry, MacHendry, Hendrie, and Hendryson among others due to the translation from Gaelic to English.
Order DNA origin analysisMcHendry: Where does the name McHendry come from?
The surname McHendry is of Scottish origin, likely derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eanraig" or "Mac Eanruig", which translates to "son of Henry". The surname first emerged in Scotland, where it was held by a historic Scottish clan in early times. As with many old world surnames, changes in pronunciation and spelling have inevitably occurred over time, leading to variants of the McHendry surname such as Hendry, Hendrie, Henry, McHenry, and others.
Following historical periods of Scottish migration, the surname has since spread to other regions around the world. Today, the McHendry name and its variants can be found in countries across the globe, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
However, the largest concentration of families bearing the McHendry surname is reported to still be in Scotland and northern Ireland. In England, the surname is more sparsely distributed, but may be found in somewhat higher concentrations in areas that historically had stronger ties with Scotland.
Regardless of geographic dispersion, individuals with the McHendry surname share a rich Gaelic heritage, originating from ancient Scottish roots.
Variations of the surname McHendry
The surname McHendry is of Scottish origin and stemmed from Henry, which is derived from the ancient personal name Hendry. Similar to many other surnames that begin with "Mc", "Mac", or "M", McHendry means "son of Hendry". The letters "Mc" are often interchanged with "Mac", thus creating the variant MacHendry.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Hendry, Hendrie, MacHendry, MacHendrick, MacKendrick and many more. It's worth noting that the spelling of surnames were not standardized until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thus many surnames have numerous spelling variations.
Surnames of similar origins often include other "Mc" or "Mac" surnames that are derived from personal names. For example, the surnames McDonald ("son of Donald") or MacGregor ("son of Gregor") are of similar origins. The surnames Hendrix or Hendrickson, which mean "son of Hendrick", may also bear a connection to McHendry.
Ultimately, both cultural movement and personal preference have influenced the version of the surname utilized by different individuals and families, so direct lineage may not be assumed from surname similarity alone.
Famous people with the name McHendry
- Kenny McHendry: American football player
- Lyman McHendry: American professor and gifted program coordinator
- Daniel McHendry: American former private investigator
- Thomas McHendry: Australian journalist
- Terence McHendry: former Canadian professional ice hockey player
- James McHendry: American lawyer and politician
- William McHendry: British artist
- John McHendry: American author and filmmaker
- Margaret McHendry: American actress
- Julie McHendry: American associate professor and author
- Charles McHendry: American entomologist
- Jan McHendry: Australian Paralympic athlete
- George McHendry: American politician
- Taylor McHendry: Canadian professional wrestler
- Alec McHendry: British actor.