Surname MacNeight - Meaning and Origin
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MacNeight: What does the surname MacNeight mean?
The last name MacNeight is of Irish and Scottish origin. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Fhiodhnaight, which is composed of the elements “mac” meaning “son of”, and “Fhiodhnaight” meaning “brown-haired”. As such, the name is believed to be a nickname for a person with auburn or brown hair.
The surname MacNeight is found in many records in the Connacht Province of Ireland, specifically in the area of County Sligo and County Mayo. It is believed to derive from the descendants of a noble family of Finnish descent, and records of the family date back to 1347 Rural Accounts.
The MacNeight name appears to have been very prolific in the 18th century, with a number of notable members of the family having served in the military, held positions in the judicial system, and even as land owners and farmers. The occurrences of the Lynchehaun Castle, a castle near Lin interfluves, has long been tied to the MacNeight family as well.
The MacNeights are a well-known family in Ireland and Scotland even to this day, and have made major contributions to the areas in which they have lived. The MacNeight name may carry with it a rich history and values, but ultimately its meaning is up to anyone who carries the name to define and make their own.
Order DNA origin analysisMacNeight: Where does the name MacNeight come from?
The last name MacNeight is most commonly found today in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and parts of the United States and Canada. The surname is rooted in the Irish Mac an Fhiodhbhuidhe, meaning “son of the woodcutter.” Its presence in Britain, and more specifically Scotland, derives from 19th-century Irish emigration, in particular from the Counties of Down and Antrim.
This Irish-Scottish name, and variant spellings like MacNight and McNeight, settled in the United States in the mid-1800s. Americans with the MacNeight name can be found mainly in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, and California, as well as in parts of Canada.
The MacNeight surname experienced a resurgence in mainland Britain in the late 20th century. This is mostly due to immigrants from other countries who choose to take on an “Anglicized” version of their home country’s last name.
Today, the MacNeight name continues to live on in its Irish and Scottish roots and across the Tyneside, indicating that the name has stood the test of time. Whether it was adopted from Ireland or Scotland, or somewhere else, the MacNeight name still remains in some capacity today.
Variations of the surname MacNeight
The surname MacNeight is an anglicized Gaelic name, derived from the old personal name Niall, meaning ‘champion’. It is commonly found around counties Donegal, Derry and Tyrone in the ancient province of Ulster, however variants of the surname can be found in other parts of the British Isles. Common variants of MacNeight include MacNay, MacNee (MacNy), MacNish, MacKnight, McKnight, MacNight, McKnight, MacNie, MacNay, McNee, and McNeece. Variants of MacNeight abroad are variously found as McKnecht, McKnight, MacNeachtan, McNachtan, McNey, MacNachtan and MacNaithan.
The prefix of the anglicised surnames often depends on when and where the original Gaelic surname was recorded. In the 1500s, when many Irish Gaelic surname records first began, the Gaelic ‘Mac’ was largely anglicised by the census-taker as Mc (or an M). As such, MacNeight likely became McKnight. Over time as records were retaken following the homogenization of the English language, the original Gaelic root ‘Mac’ often became the preferred form over the anglicised Mc. As such, in modern records and the present day, MacNeight is largely written as MacKnight, McNight, or MacNight.
The Irish Gaelic variation of MacNeight is Mac Niath/ MacNiath. Additionally, the surname occurs in Scotland as a regional variant, MacNeachtain. This variant has been rendered in the US as MacNaughtan, MacNaughtin, MacNaugton, and McNaughton.
Famous people with the name MacNeight
- Emma MacNeight: Canadian pop singer and songwriter
- Lauren MacNeight: American actor and producer
- James MacNeight: British industrialist and investor
- John MacNeight: Irish historian and academic
- Ruth MacNeight: Spanish photographer and artist
- Alice MacNeight: Australian ambassador and diplomat
- Anne MacNeight: French author and screenwriter
- Kevin MacNeight: Canadian professional ice hockey player
- Edward MacNeight: British barrister and legal scholar
- Charles MacNeight: Irish economist and trader