MacArthur
A Scottish surname meaning “son of Arthur,” long associated with a Highland clan of the same name.
The #8,274 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,071 Americans shares it.
Etymology
MacArthur is a Gaelic patronymic: Mac means “son of,” and Arthur is the personal name Arthur. The surname therefore originally meant “son of Arthur” or “Arthur’s son.” In Gaelic form it appears as Mac Artair / MacArtair, reflecting the Scots-Gaelic adaptation of the name Arthur.
History
The name is strongly associated with the historic MacArthur clan of western Scotland, especially Argyllshire and areas around Loch Awe. One 19th-century source describes the MacArthurs as an important Highland branch with a notable territorial history, and another notes the surname’s concentration in Argyllshire and Stirlingshire. The clan tradition made the name prominent in Scottish history, though the surname itself is simply a patronymic from the personal name Arthur.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A Gaelic scholar cited in the excerpts explicitly glosses MacArthur as “son of Arthur,” a neat case where the surname’s meaning is almost exactly what it looks like.
From the historical record
“MacAlister, . MacArdell, . MacArthur, . MacAuley, . MacAuliffe, . MacBrady, . MacBreen, . MacBrennaii,”
— Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (numerical strength, derivation, distribution)