MCGEORGE
Recorded variant spellings include Mc George, Mcgeorge
McGeorge is a surname of Gaelic origin linked to Scotland and northern Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic patronymic *Mac Gille Dheòrsa*, which translates to “son of the servant of St George.” In a more general sense it may also come from the Gaelic *Mac Gòrda*, meaning “son of George.” These forms indicate an ancestral link to a Christian saint and to a person who served or was associated with that saint.
The surname is fundamentally patronymic, used originally to identify the descendants of a particular male ancestor linked to the name *George*. The element *Mac* denotes “son of,” while *Gille* refers to a devotee or servant. Both components are typical of Scottish Gaelic surnames and illustrate the Christian influence that spread through the British Isles in medieval times.
Historical records show the name in several orthographic variants, including MacJarrow, McJarrow, McJerrow and later forms such as McGeorge. Early appearances include Robert McJarrow in the Hoihous register of 1607, Henry Makegeore documented in 1662, and the name John McJorrie recorded in 1686 when he was prosecuted for rebellion. These entries demonstrate that the name was well established in Scotland from at least the early nineteenth century onwards.
In terms of distribution, McGeorge remains most common within the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the United Kingdom the name appears at a low frequency, but it is especially prevalent in the counties of Antrim and Down in Northern Ireland. In the United States the surname ranks 6,586th in the most recent Census data, with 2,232 bearers, and has its highest concentration in Michigan, although it is also found in more than ten other states. In Canada the name is the 4,588th most common surname, with 1,072 holders, the greatest number of whom live in Alberta—221 individuals in that province.
Many contemporary McGeorge individuals trace their ancestry to Scottish and Irish emigrants who settled in North America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a migration pattern that also contributed to the presence of the surname in the United States and Canada. The name’s endurance reflects the perseverance of Scots‑Irish communities, whose descendants have continued to value faith, education and hard work. Their cultural legacy remains a point of pride for those carrying the surname in the present day.
Typical given names associated with the McGeorge surname
Male
- Alan
- Alistair
- Andrew
- David
- Douglas
- Ian
- James
- John
- Robert
- Stuart
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Angela
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Laura
- Lynn
- Margaret
- Mary
- Maureen
- 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 McGeorge in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 713 people named McGeorge in the UK. That makes it roughly the 9,573rd most common surname in Britain. Around 11 in a million people in Britain are named McGeorge.
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 McGeorge
- Sonia McGeorge - Female distance runner
- Chris McGeorge -
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.