MCQUARRIE
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Quarrie, Mcquarrie
McQuarrie is a surname of Celtic origin, principally found within the British Isles. It derives from the Gaelic patronymic Mac Guaire, literally meaning “son of Guaire”. The personal name Guaire is ancient; it is believed to come from the Gaelic word guair, conveying the sense of “proud” or “noble”. Accordingly, the surname marks a familial link to an ancestor named Guaire and appears commonly among Scottish clans and families.
The earliest documented spelling of the family name appears in a witness list dated 1463 in Ross, Scotland, where a John M'Goyre is mentioned during the reign of King James III. This early record demonstrates the long standing nature of the name in the Scottish countryside.
As a patronymic, the surname was originally employed to indicate descent. The formation Mac Guaire follows the usual Gaelic pattern whereby mac means “son of”. Over time, the name was anglicised in several ways. Contemporary variants include MacQuarrey, MacQuarie, MacWharrie, McQuarrie, McQuarie, McAuarrie, McQuorrie and McQuirrie. The name also appears in the Isle of Man as Quarry and in Ireland as Gorey.
In Scotland the surname is associated with the Clan MacQuarrie, which is traditionally linked to the Hebridean islands off the west coast. Genealogical traditions posit descent either from two siblings of the 13th‑century ancestor Cinead or from the 14th‑century figure Malmor McQuarrie. The clan’s heraldic crest features a laurel and an oakleaf, symbols reflecting their proud military heritage.
Geographically the surname is most prevalent in Aberdeenshire, especially the Banff area, as well as in the Highlands, the islands, Angus and Fife. In Ireland it is concentrated in counties Galway, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Roscommon. The diaspora of the McQuarrie family is visible in North America, where the name is most common in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, and in Canada, notably in Ontario. The migration of families bearing the surname to these regions commenced in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Throughout history, individuals with the surname have achieved distinction in medical, legal, journalistic and educational professions. The resilience of the name across centuries, and its continued presence in contemporary records, attest to a strong and enduring heritage shared predominantly by Scots and, to a lesser extent, by the wider British population.
Typical given names associated with the McQuarrie surname
Male
- Alexander
- Alistair
- Allan
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Robert
- Ross
- Stuart
- William
Female
- Angela
- Ann
- Anne
- Barbara
- Catherine
- Elaine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Louise
- Margaret
- Mary
- Rhoda
- Sharon
Similar and related surnames
- McQuarry
- McQuire
- Maccari
- Macari
- Maccario
- Macarie
- Macaire
- Macar
- Macara
- Macare
- Macaree
- Macario
- Macaro
- Maccary
- Maccrae
- Maccree
- Maccurrie
- Macgarr
- Macguire
- Macker
- Macor
- Macquarie
- Macquarrie
- Macquire
- Macra
- Macrae
- Macre
- Macrea
- Macree
- Macri
- Macrie
- Macro
- Macroe
- Macur
- Macura
- Magar
- Magara
- Magaro
- Maggar
- Magger
- Maggiora
- Maggiore
- Maggiori
- Maghar
- Magher
- Magor
- Magora
- Magori
- Magoro
- Magra
- Magre
- Magree
- Magri
- Magrie
- Magro
- Maguare
- Maguer
- Maguier
- Maguir
- Maguire
- Magura
- Magure
- Magurie
- Maigre
- Maiker
- Makar
- Makara
- Makari
- Makariou
- Maker
- Makkar
- Makker
- Makore
- Makra
- Makri
- Makura
- Maquaire
- Maquire
- Maugher
- Maygor
- Mcara
- Mcaree
- Mcaroe
- Mcarry
- Mccara
- Mccarey
- Mccarr
- Mccarra
- Mccarrey
- Mccarry
- Mccary
- Mccaughie
- Mccorey
- Mccorie
- Mccorrie
- Mccra
- Mccrae
- Mccrea
- Mccree
- Mccrie
- Mccure
- Mccurrie
- Mccurry
- Mcgair
- Mcgar
- Mcgarr
- Mcgarrie
- Mcgary
- Mcgorie
- Mcgorrie
- Mcgra
- Mcgraa
- Mcgrae
- Mcgree
- Mcgrue
- Mcguarrie
- Mcguier
- Mcguir
- Mcguire
- Mcgure
- Mcgurie
- Mcgurr
- Mckeary
- Mckeer
- Mckerr
- Mckerry
- Mckree
- Mcquarie
- Mcquary
- Mcqueer
- Mcrae
- Mcrea
- Mcree
- Mcroe
- Meagar
- Meagher
- Meagor
- Meagre
- Meaker
- Mecker
- Meeker
- Megaro
- Megger
- Megra
- Megre
- Meguer
- Meguire
- Mekaouar
- Mekari
- Meker
- Mekouar
- Mguire
- Migra
- Miker
- Mocaer
- Mocker
- Mogor
- Mogra
- Mogre
- Mokri
- Mooker
- Mugara
- Mugra
- Muguiro
- Mukar
- Mukari
- Muker
- Mukiri
- Mukoro
- Mukri
- Mukuru
- Mquire
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McQuarrie in...
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There are approximately 572 people named McQuarrie in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around nine in a million people in Britain are named McQuarrie.
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 McQuarrie
- Stuart McQuarrie - Actor
- Albert McQuarrie - Politician (1918 to 2016)
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.