McCutcheon
A Scottish and Irish surname that likely means “son of Cuthán” or “son of little Cuthbert,” though the exact Gaelic source is uncertain.
The #3,835 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,450 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McCutcheon is a surname of Gaelic form, with Mc- meaning “son of.” The second element is usually taken to reflect a personal name such as Cuthán or a related diminutive, sometimes linked more broadly to the name Cuthbert. The spelling is heavily anglicized, so the exact original Gaelic form is not always easy to recover with confidence.
History
The name is associated especially with Scottish and Ulster Irish usage, and historical records show it in both Scotland and northern Ireland. Later migration carried it to North America, where it remains a fairly uncommon but established surname. Nineteenth-century surname writers also grouped it with other Mc- names from Gaelic-speaking regions, reflecting its Celtic background.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because spellings were not standardized for centuries, the same family line can appear in records as McCutcheon, McCutchin, McCutchan, or McCutchen.
From the historical record
“Tyrone. *McCutcheon(25), . 27 1”
— Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (numerical strength, derivation, distribution)