McAlpine
A Scottish clan surname meaning “son of Alpin,” ultimately linked to the legendary King Kenneth MacAlpin.
The #8,814 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,130 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McAlpine is the anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Ailpín, meaning “son of Alpin.” The personal name Alpin is traditionally associated with early Scottish history and is best known through Kenneth MacAlpin, the ruler linked in tradition with the union of the Picts and Scots. The surname is therefore a patronymic, originally identifying descent from a man named Alpin rather than describing an occupation or place.
History
The name is strongly associated with Highland Scottish clan tradition, and older writers often treat several families and related surnames as branches or septs of the MacAlpine stock. In historical and genealogical writing, MacAlpine is also tied to the reputation of Kenneth MacAlpin, which helped give the name a prominent place in Scottish tradition. Modern bearers may descend from a number of unrelated lines that adopted or inherited the surname independently.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century writers sometimes used MacAlpine as a kind of clan umbrella name for several Scottish families, reflecting older clan genealogies rather than modern DNA-based family history.
From the historical record
“MacAldin, Mac Calden, etc. triAC Ailpin, MacAlpine, Mac Alpin, MacCalpin, ITlAC AinT)lieif, ITlAC AinXtlllAfA, MacAndrew ; Ross.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames