MCNAUGHTON
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Naughton, Mcnaughton
McNaughton is a patronymic surname of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Neachdainn, meaning *“son of Neachdainn”*. The personal name Neachdainn is believed to have Celtic roots, sometimes interpreted as signalling *pure* or *clean*, and it was used by chieftains in the Argyll region during the period of the Kingdom of Dalriada.
The surname appears in a variety of spellings, reflecting the process of rendering Gaelic names into English orthography. These include MacNaughton, McNaughton, McCracken, McCraken, MacNeachtain, and, in Ulster, MacReachtain and McReachtain. The interchange of the initial consonants n and r in the Ulster forms is a linguistic characteristic of the region.
Historical records show the earliest documented instance of the name in 1431, when the dean of Dunkeld was identified as Donald MacNachtane in the Papal Registers of Great Britain and Ireland. This period corresponds to the reign of King James I of Scotland, who ruled from 1406 to 1437. In the 14th century a number of families bearing the McNaughton name migrated from Scotland to County Antrim in the north of Ireland, where they became early planters and gradually adopted spellings such as McReachtain.
The heraldic arms traditionally associated with the clan contain a black shield showing an escutcheon that is chequy silver and blue, with three lion heads erased in the second colour. The crest is likewise a lion head, and the family motto is the Latin phrase Omnia fortunae committo, which translates into English as *“I commit all things to fortune.”*
In contemporary times the surname remains most common in Scotland, particularly within the counties of Argyll and Bute, the Highlands and the Isle of Skye, though its bearers can now be found throughout the United Kingdom and in countries with significant Scottish diaspora, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The continuity of the name in these regions is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Gaelic linguistic and cultural traditions that gave rise to it.
Typical given names associated with the McNaughton surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Ann
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Pamela
- Sarah
- Susan
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 McNaughton in...
Braille
⠍⠉⠝⠁⠥⠛⠓⠞⠕⠝
Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 3,219 people named McNaughton in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,818th most common surname in Britain. Around 49 in a million people in Britain are named McNaughton.
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
Famous people named McNaughton
- Kevin McNaughton - Football player
- Colin McNaughton - Children's illustrator and writer
- Gus McNaughton - Actor (1881 to 1969)
- Callum McNaughton - Football player
- Jack McNaughton - Actor (1905 to 1990)
- Gibson McNaughton - Football player (1911 to 1)
- Sandy McNaughton - Football player
- Jock McNaughton - (1912 to 1986)
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.