MCTAGGART
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Taggart, Mctaggart
The surname McTaggart has its roots in the Gaelic linguistic tradition of the British Isles, with a strong association with the Highlands of Scotland and the western counties of Ireland. At its core it is a patronymic form of the Old Gaelic expression Mac an t-sagairt, which literally means “son of the priest.” The construction breaks down into Mac, meaning “son of,” and t-sagairt, the genitive of sagart, the word for “priest.”
The earliest surviving record of a name in this line is that of Ferchar Mackinsagart, dated to the year 1215 and noted in the medieval Scottish chronicles during the reign of King Alexander I. Subsequent examples include Donald McKyntagart of Dumfries, mentioned in the 1459 Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, and William Maktygar of "the Kingis hospitaile of the trinite college besyd," recorded in Edinburgh in 1504. In the early 16th century, Thomas McKyntaggart appears as a tenant in Strathdee, and William MacTeggart, the Dean of Derry in 1606, is described as a “worthy man speaking Irish and Latin.” These entries confirm the name's presence in both Scotland and Ulster over several centuries.
Variations in spelling are extensive, reflecting the way the Gaelic phonology was rendered in English orthography. Common forms include MacTaggart, MacTegart, McTegart, McTaggart, McTaggert, M’Taggart, and MacTagert. In some Irish records the spelling shifts further to MacEtegart, MacTaggart or even Ateggart. The multiplicity of forms, however, does not obscure the common origin of the name.
The association of the surname with clergy is rooted in historical practice. In the early Celtic Church, priests were permitted to marry and to have offspring, and a son of a priest would naturally be identified by the patronymic Mac an t-sagairt. By the 12th century, priestly marriage had been declared illegal by the papacy, yet the designation persisted in private and civil records, sometimes as evidence that a person was suspected of being the offspring of a cleric. Thus the name may carry both lineage and a social descriptor in the medieval period.
In Scotland, the surname is most commonly found in the Highlands and the western Lowlands, with a concentration in Argyle and surrounding areas. In Ireland, it is widespread across Ulster and appears in historical documents from County Antrim, Derry, Fermanagh, Donegal, Armagh and Louth. The village of Ballymactaggart in the barony of Lurg, County Fermanagh, is traditionally associated with the sept that bore this name.
Beyond the British Isles, the diaspora has carried the surname to North America, Australasia and New Zealand. In the United States, concentrations are highest in Pennsylvania, followed by pockets in New York, California, New Jersey and Texas. Canadian records show significant numbers in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia. Australian communities with the surname are largely situated in Victoria and New South Wales, while New Zealanders bearing the name are primarily found on the South Island.
Although McTaggart is firmly rooted in Gaelic patronymic tradition, the name has also entered into the broader social fabric. It is linked to the Clan MacGregor as a sept and is sometimes associated with the historic chieftain Duncan de Taghdrayne. The spread of the surname reflects the broader patterns of migration and settlement that shaped the modern distribution of Irish and Scottish peoples.
In contemporary times, the name remains in use across the world, with modern bearers counted in the range of one to two million individuals internationally. It stands as a testament to the resilience of Gaelic naming practices and to the historical interweaving of ecclesiastical and familial identities.
Typical given names associated with the McTaggart surname
Male
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- Iain
- James
- John
- Neil
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jane
- Julie
- Lynne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- 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 McTaggart in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 2,675 people named McTaggart in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,329th most common surname in Britain. Around 41 in a million people in Britain are named McTaggart.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named McTaggart
- Dick McTaggart - Boxer
- Bob McTaggart - Activist, trade unionist, politician (1945 to 1989)
- Patrick McTaggart-Cowan - Canadian meteorologist (1912 to 1997)
- Ian McTaggart-Cowan - Scottish-Canadian zoologist, conservationist, and television presenter (1910 to 2010)
- Heather McTaggart - Australian politician
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.