MCALINDEN
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Alinden, Mcalinden
McAlinden is a surname of Gaelic Irish origin, derived from the Irish name Mac Giolla Fhiondain. The components of the name are Mac, meaning “son of”, Giolla, meaning “servant” or “devotee”, and Fhiondain, referring to a saint. According to historical records the name translates literally to “son of the servant of St. Finian” or, in some traditions, “son of the servant of St. Fintan”. Both saints were prominent 6th‑ or 7th‑century religious figures in Ireland, and the surname reflects a lineage that claims descent from followers of one of them.
The surname originated in pre‑10th‑century Ireland, with a concentration in County Fermanagh. By the 16th and 17th centuries it had become prominent in the counties of Armagh and Down, where the McAlinden clan held influence during the Gaelic order before English dominance. The chief of the clan was known as the lord of Lough Erne, and the family is occasionally said to claim descent from the legendary Niall of the Nine Hostages. The first recorded nameholder is traditionally the poet Padraig Mac Giolla Fhionndain (1645‑1733), whose elegies are noted outside his homeland for their eloquence.
The surname is represented by a wide array of spellings that have emerged over the centuries due to the lack of a standard English orthography and regional pronunciation differences. Variants include MacAlinden, McAlinden, McAlinion, Lennon, Glendon, Glindon, Mac Leddan, Liddane, Lindon, Luddan, Lyden, O' Lydon and the rare English form Mackleden. In some records the surname also appears as MacAlindan, MacLinden, McAlindon, or McAlindina, reflecting attempts to phonetically realise the original Gaelic sounds.
Following the waves of Irish emigration from the 18th to the 20th centuries, bearers of the McAlinden name have settled beyond the British Isles. Today the surname can be found in the United States, Canada, Australia and other English‑speaking countries, although it remains relatively rare outside Ireland. In the British Isles the name is still most common in Northern Ireland, especially in the counties of Armagh and Down, where historical ties to the Gaelic clans persist in local identity.
Typical given names associated with the McAlinden surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- Denis
- Hugh
- James
- John
- Jonathan
- Joseph
- Kevin
- Michael
- Patrick
- Paul
- Thomas
- Vincent
Female
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Jacqueline
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Pauline
- Sarah
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 McAlinden in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 884 people named McAlinden in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,134th most common surname in Britain. Around 14 in a million people in Britain are named McAlinden.
Famous people named McAlinden
- Danny McAlinden - Irish boxer
- Liam McAlinden - Football player
- Jimmy McAlinden - Irish football player (1917 to 1993)
- Bobby McAlinden - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.