McClintock
An Irish and Scottish surname, most often understood as meaning “son of Clintoch” or “descendant of someone nicknamed Clintoch.”
The #3,879 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,776 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McClintock is a surname of Gaelic type, with the prefix Mc/Mac meaning “son of.” The second element is usually taken as a personal name or nickname, often explained as an older Gaelic form underlying the family name rather than a transparent modern word. Because the older forms are not always clear in the surviving records, the precise literal meaning of the base name is uncertain.
History
The name is found in Ireland and Scotland, especially in families with Ulster connections, and later spread widely in the English-speaking world through migration. 19th-century surname dictionaries generally treated it as a long-established Highland/Irish clan-style name rather than a recent spelling invention. Modern bearers include Emory McClintock, the American mathematician and actuary.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is uncommon but well established in American records, with more than 9,000 bearers counted in the 2010 U.S. Census.
From the historical record
“^tr4m. McClintock, 25 2”
— Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (numerical strength, derivation, distribution)