McBride
An Irish and Scottish surname meaning “son of Brigid” or “son of the servant of Brigid,” tied to the old Gaelic personal name Bride/Bríd.
The #527 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,832 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McBride is an anglicized Gaelic surname built on Mac, meaning “son,” plus Bride/Bríd, a traditional Irish and Scottish female name associated with Saint Brigid. In older Gaelic usage, it can reflect a family connection to a bearer of that name rather than a direct female ancestor in the modern sense. Some historical sources also connect it with forms like Mac Giolla Bríde, meaning “son of the servant/devotee of Brigid,” which explains related surnames such as Kilbride and Gillbride.
History
The surname is especially well established in Ireland, particularly in Ulster, and also appears in Scotland through Gaelic and later Anglicized forms. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century surname scholars commonly treated MacBride as a variant within the wider Brigid/Kilbride/Gillbride name group. It remains common in the English-speaking world, with strong Irish-American representation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Brigid was such an important saint in Gaelic tradition, surnames built on her name produced several closely related family names, not just McBride but also Kilbride and Gillbride.
From the historical record
“liffe, Macgawley (work, labour) Macbeth. Gael, son of Beth (life) Macbride. From the Irish McGill Bride ; a p.n. See Kilbride MacCheyne. Irish MacShane ; a p.n. (Jackson, Johnson) MacClellan. See Gilfillan”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)