Surname McKechnie - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McKechnie: What does the surname McKechnie mean?
The last name McKechnie is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Eachann." Eachann is a compound of two elements: “each,” meaning horse and “Donn,” meaning brown. Thus, the name "Eachann" translates to "brown horse." The prefix "Mc" signifies "son of", hence McKechnie would mean "son of Eachann". Therefore, the surname metaphorically suggests a sturdy or powerful person, similar to a brown horse. It is commonly found in the area of Argyll, Scotland and spread to other parts of the world due to migration. As with many surnames, there are variations in spelling over time and depending on the region, including MacEachan, MacGeachie, MacKichan, and MacKechan among others.
Order DNA origin analysisMcKechnie: Where does the name McKechnie come from?
The surname McKechnie has Scottish origins and it is a derivation from the Old Gaelic "MacEacharna", which translates to "son of the horse lord". In traditional Gaelic society, this surname would indicate being part of a noble and esteemed lineage.
The prefix 'Mac' denotes 'son of', making this a patronymic name, a common feature in many Celtic and Gaelic names. It was initially presented to the first Chief of the Clan, Eacharn, a term that means "Horse Lord". This clearly points to a status of high ranking, possibly involved with cavalry or military expertise.
Today, the surname is quite scarce, making it less common and widely dispersed across the world. However, it can be found moderately frequently in countries such as Scotland, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and England. The distribution primarily in English-speaking countries suggests a possible relation to the Scottish diaspora.
Despite changes to the spelling over centuries, the McKechnie surname has preserved its identifying Scottish roots and continues to reflect a distinctive part of Scotland's rich cultural history.
Variations of the surname McKechnie
The surname McKechnie has its roots in Gaelic, originating from Mac Eachainn, which means 'son of Eachann'. Eachann derives from the elements "each", a horse, and "donn", brown. Apart from McKechnie, the name has also been anglicized in various ways resulting in several variants and spellings over the centuries.
Primarily, there are variations such as MacKechnie, Mackechney, Mackechenie, and MacKechney. These variants typically retain the 'Mac' prefix, signifying 'son of', and several versions adjust the spelling of the second half of the name.
Furthermore, other popular versions of the surname include Mackeachen, MacEachan, MacEachen, and MacEachin. These versions are close to the original Gaelic variant in their composition.
Additionally, the name can also be modified to Mackechan, Mckechan, Machechney, and McEachen. These variants either modify the 'Mac' prefix to 'Mc' or change the overall spelling and pronunciation significantly.
Lastly, there are instances where the surname appears without the 'Mac' or 'Mc' prefix, resulting in variations such as Kechnie or Eachan.
It's worth noting that, despite the differences in spelling and pronunciation, all these surnames share the same Gaelic origin.
Famous people with the name McKechnie
- David McKechnie: Canadian stage actor, whose career began in 1971. He has appeared in over eighty television shows and movies, most recently playing the role of the Governor on the Amazon series ‘Man in the High Castle’.
- Ian McKechnie: Scottish professional footballer, who has played for several teams in Scotland, England and Switzerland, including Motherwell, Raith Rovers and Ross County.
- Stella McKechnie: Australian middle-distance runner and four-time World Masters Athletics 1500m Freestyle champion.
- Walter McKechnie: Canadian figure skater who won bronze at the 1959 World Figure Skating Championship and the 1959 North American Figure Skating Championship.
- Chris McKechnie: English professional golfer who has played on the European Tour, Asian Golf Tour and the Sunshine Tour.
- John McKechnie: Canadian figure skater and two-time Olympian, who won a silver medal in the pairs competition at the 1932 Winter Olympics.
- John T. McKechnie: American Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, who represented the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.
- Tommy McKechnie: English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Liverpool and Cardiff City.
- Stuart McKechnie: Scottish doctor and amateur historian who has written articles and books on Scottish history, including the ‘Scotland Atlas and Gazetteer’.
- Angus McKechnie: Scottish curler who has competed in several curling tournaments, including the European Curling Championships.