Mack
A short surname that usually began as a clipped form of a Gaelic Mac-name, and in Scotland could also function as a nickname meaning “neat” or “tidy.”
The #468 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,345 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In the sources here, Mack is treated mainly as an abbreviation of longer surnames beginning with Mac-, the Gaelic element meaning “son.” One 19th-century dictionary also notes Mack as a Scots word used as an adjective meaning “neat” or “tidy,” so in some cases it may have begun as a descriptive byname rather than a patronymic. The form can therefore represent either a shortened Gaelic family name or, less often, an old Scottish personal/nickname form.
History
The name appears in Scots and Gaelic contexts and was already considered ancient in Scotland by 19th-century writers. In practice, many bearers of Mack likely inherited it as a shortened family name from a Mac- surname, while some branches may have developed independently from local nickname usage. The exact source can vary by family line, so Scottish and Manx records are especially important for tracing a particular line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One source explicitly glosses Mack as a Scottish adjective meaning “neat, tidy,” which is a reminder that surnames can grow from everyday words as well as from clan names.
From the historical record
“v. Mac Iver. MACK (Celt.) An abbreviation of one or other of the numerous Mac- names. MAC KAGUE 1 for Mac Thaidhg (Manx-Celt.), MACKAIG j Son of Tadhg = the Poet or Philosopher. Cp. Keig. MACKAIN \ (Celt.) Son of Kain or Kane MAC KANE J [Ir. Mac Cathain :v. O'KaIn] MACKAREL-i (A.-Fr.-]>at.) a nickname from”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)