MCGILLIVRAY
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Gillivray, Mcgillivray
The surname McGillivray is a Scottish name of Gaelic derivation, belonging to the linguistic family of the Celtic peoples who inhabited the British Isles. It is traditionally said to derive from the Gaelic phrase Mac Gille Bhrath, which translates literally to son of the servant of judgement. The word Gille means “servant” and Bhrath is interpreted as “judgement” or “reproach”, suggesting that the original bearer of the name was a judicial officer or a person attached to a lord’s court where decisions were made.
Early spellings of the surname are numerous and reflect variations in regional speech and record keeping. Records document forms such as MacGillivray, MacGillavery, MacGillivrie, MacGillivry, MacGillvary, MacGillvray, MacGilvary, MacGilvra, and the shortened forms beginning with Mc or lacking the prefix entirely, a pattern seen in Irish registries as well. These variant spellings all stem from the same Gaelic root and retain the original meaning of the name.
The McGillivray clan is known to have been located in the Scottish Highlands, specifically in the areas around Inverness‑shire, Ross‑shire and, earlier, Argyllshire. There the clan was a sept of the MacLeans of Mull and played a role in local land relations. Notable early individuals included Archibald Makillewray, the rector of Ewist in 1535, and the Rev. Martin Mcillura (also recorded as McIlvora, M‘Ilvra and M‘Ilwra), who served as a vicar in Argyllshire between 1625 and 1650.
The clan is recorded as part of the larger confederation of clans known as Clan Chattan, a powerful alliance in the Highlands. During the Jacobite risings of the eighteenth century, the McGillivray clan supported Bonnie Prince Charlie. Their involvement in the conflict brought them to the battlefield of Culloden, where, according to contemporary reports, the clan suffered heavy losses and the chief was said to have died at a place known as “the well of the Dead.”
Following the aftermath of Culloden, members of the McGillivray clan dispersed, a movement that is reflected in the modern global distribution of the surname. Today, the name is most frequently found in Scotland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In Canada, the name gained particular prominence through figures such as William McGillivray, an early nineteenth‑century fur trader and landowner whose activities contributed to the establishment of Canadian fur trade routes.
The consistent use of the Gaelic root across all spellings has preserved the underlying meaning of the surname throughout history, linking contemporary bearers to a lineage that once held the responsibility of administering judgement within their society.
Typical given names associated with the McGillivray surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- Donald
- Ian
- James
- John
- Paul
- Robert
- William
Female
- Angela
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jean
- Karen
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Shirley
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 McGillivray in...
Braille
⠍⠉⠛⠊⠇⠇⠊⠧⠗⠁⠽
Morse
---.-.--....-...-.......-.-..--.--
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,651 people named McGillivray in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,945th most common surname in Britain. Around 25 in a million people in Britain are named McGillivray.
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 McGillivray
- David McGillivray - Producer/screenwriter
- Charlie McGillivray - Scottish football player (1912 to 1986)
- Findlay McGillivray - 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.