MACMASTER
Recorded variant spellings include Mac Master, Macmaster
MacMaster is a surname that originates from the Gaelic-speaking regions of the British Isles, particularly Scotland and Ireland. The name is traditionally associated with a patrilineal lineage, indicating descent from a person of recognised authority or expertise.
The etymology of the surname is from the Gaelic phrase Mac a Mhàistir, meaning “son of the master.” In the Irish variant it appears as MacMaighstir, composed of the prefix Mac, meaning son, and maighstir, a Gaelic term for master or cleric derived from the Latin magister. The use of maighstir historically signified a person of learning, skill or clerical standing, and the surname therefore denoted the descendant of such an individual.
Historical records trace the surname back to at least the early fifteenth century. The earliest extant spelling is that of John Macmagistir, dated 1433 in the “Calendar of entries in the papal registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland,” during the reign of King James I of Scotland. Over the centuries the name developed a number of orthographic variants, including McMaster, M'Master, MacAmaster, MacYmaster and MacMester.
Within Scotland the name is chiefly recorded in the shires of Dumfries and Wigtown. A sept bearing the surname once existed in Ardgour; traditional accounts state that they were dispossued by the MacLennans in the fifteenth century. These Scottish holdings illustrate the surname’s association with the Highlands and with the clan system that characterised the region.
In Ireland the MacMasters constitute a Breffny sept, with primary concentrations in Cavan and West Leitrim. The name is also associated with the counties of Longford and Antrim, the latter retaining the surname chiefly among descendants of Scottish settlers. Early nineteenth‑century documents record the name in a variety of forms, reflecting the fluidity of spelling in the period.
Notable individuals who have carried the surname include Rev. Gilbert MacMaster (1778–1854), a Presbyterian minister who served in New York; his son Erasmus MacMaster, who died in 1866, was a Professor of Theology at Chicago; and James MacMaster, who died in 1886, became a leading Catholic journalist. William MacMaster (1811–1887), born in County Tyrone, founded Toronto University. Another prominent figure is Colin Macmagistir, canon of Argyll in 1433, whose legacy underscores the religious connections implied by the surname’s meaning.
Through the centuries of migration from Scotland and Ireland to North America and Australasia, the surname has spread widely. It remains most prevalent in Scotland but is also common in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A significant concentration exists in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, where the heritage of Scottish settlers endures. The surname is thus recognisable both as a marker of Gaelic patrimony and as a testament to the broader diaspora of Scots and Irish peoples.
Typical given names associated with the MacMaster surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- Donald
- Hugh
- Iain
- Ian
- James
- John
- Kenneth
- Robert
Female
- Alison
- Elaine
- Elizabeth
- Kathleen
- Kirsty
- Lindsay
- Margaret
- Mary
- Maureen
- Morag
- Sandra
- Sarah
- Shonagh
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname MacMaster in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 479 people named MacMaster in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around seven in a million people in Britain are named MacMaster.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
