Surname MacCaghlin - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
MacCaghlin: What does the surname MacCaghlin mean?
MacCaghlin is an Irish surname of Gaelic origin. The surname is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cathalain", which translates to "son of Cathalan." The name "Cathalan" itself is made up of two elements: "cath," meaning battle, and "gal," meaning valor. Therefore, the entire name MacCaghlin can be interpreted as "son of the one with battle valor." It is important to note that the spelling of Irish names can vary greatly, often due to Anglicization during the 17th and 18th centuries. Variants of the name MacCaghlin may include McCaughlin, McCaughan, MacCawell, and others. However, despite these variations in spelling, the surname retains its original Gaelic meaning. Irish surnames are often tied to Clan identities and can convey a wealth of historical and familial information.
Order DNA origin analysisMacCaghlin: Where does the name MacCaghlin come from?
The surname MacCaghlin is of Irish origin and it is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Coughlain" which means "son of Coughlan". The surname Coughlan is derived from the word "coghlan", meaning "cape" or "hood". Various forms of the surname are found predominantly in the provinces of Munster and Connacht, specifically in County Cork which was originally a part of the Kingdom of Desmond in the south of Ireland.
Today, like many Irish surnames, MacCaghlin is distributed across the world as a result of Irish diaspora. Due to historical large-scale emigration from Ireland, descendants carrying this surname can be found in many English speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, it remains most common in Ireland itself. Variations of the spelling, such as Coughlan, MacCoughlan, or McCoughlan, can also be found in these locations.
Variations of the surname MacCaghlin
The surname MacCaghlin has its roots in both Scotland and Ireland, and over time has evolved into various spellings due to anglicization and regional dialects. Some of the most common variants and spellings of the surname include Maccaghlan, MacCauglin, MacLaughlin, McLoughlin, and McLachlan.
In Ireland, these spellings will appear pronounced and spelled as McLochlain, McLochlin, or even McLocklin, while in Scotland, these may appear as MacLauchlan, MacLauchlin, or MacLaughlin.
A further anglicized version of the name appears in both Ireland and Scotland as McLaughlin. In addition, in both countries, variations of the surname often drop the "Mac" or "Mc" prefix altogether, appearing simply as Laughlin or Lochlin.
As with many Celtic surnames, these variations often change with region and historical context, thus, individuals carrying one version of the surname may be related to those carrying another. Furthermore, these names might be translated into various other languages, leading to even more variations.
Famous people with the name MacCaghlin
- Tom McCaughan: musician and record producer
- Marcus McCaghlin: basketball player
- Siobhan McCaghlin: actress
- Jed McCaghlin: football player
- John McCaghlin: author
- Colin McCaghlin: singer/songwriter
- Howard McCaghlin: actor
- Dan McCaghlin: actor
- Shelagh McCaghlin: athlete
- Steven McCaghlin: actor