McCormick
A common Irish and Scottish surname meaning “son of Cormac.”
The #532 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,851 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McCormick is an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Cormaic, meaning “son of Cormac.” The personal name Cormac is usually explained as combining a word for “ruler” or “charioteer” with a second element often taken to mean “son” or “offspring,” though older scholars sometimes differed on the exact breakdown. In practice, the surname belongs to the large Gaelic family of Mac- names built from a father’s given name.
History
The surname is especially well known in Ireland, particularly in Ulster, and it also appears in Scotland, where related forms such as MacCormack and Cormack occur. The name was already common enough by the 19th century to appear frequently in surname lists and census-style counts. In the United States it became widespread through Irish immigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname references often group McCormick with a cluster of closely related Gaelic forms, showing how fluid spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“triAC CotitriACAin, MacCormiken; MacCormack, MacCormick. rtlAC Co|AniAic, MacCormac, Mac Cormack, MacCormick, Cor- mac, Cormick, Cormack.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames