McArthur
A Scottish clan surname meaning “son of Arthur,” with strong roots in the western Highlands.
The #2,844 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,343 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McArthur comes from Gaelic Mac Artair, literally “son of Arthur.” The personal name Arthur is generally taken to be of old Celtic origin, though its deeper meaning is uncertain. In Scottish usage, the surname preserves the Gaelic patronymic form with the prefix Mac- meaning “son of.”
History
The name is especially associated with the Highlands and western Scotland, where the MacArthurs were historically linked with Argyll and the Loch Awe area. Nineteenth-century clan histories described them as a significant branch with a notable territorial and political role in medieval Scotland. The surname later spread more widely in Scotland and into the English-speaking world, including North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some older sources connect the surname closely with a Highland clan that was once prominent enough to contend with the Campbells in western Scotland.
From the historical record
“MacAlister, . MacArdell, . MacArthur, . MacAuley, . MacAuliffe, . MacBrady, . MacBreen, . MacBrennaii,”
— Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (numerical strength, derivation, distribution)