McGlothlin
An Irish or Scottish surname likely meaning “son of Glothlan/Glothlen,” though its exact Gaelic source is uncertain.
The #8,317 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 77,496 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McGlothlin is a surname of Gaelic form, with Mc- meaning “son of.” The second element is less certain: it is probably an Anglicized form of a personal name or nickname that has not survived clearly in standard records, so the literal meaning is not securely established. In practice, the name is treated as a Gaelic patronymic, but the underlying root remains obscure.
History
The surname is chiefly found in North America today, especially in the United States, where it likely reflects descendants of Irish or Scottish emigrants. Spellings have varied over time as Gaelic names were written down in English in different ways. Because the underlying Gaelic personal name is uncertain, the surname’s deeper pre-Atlantic history is harder to trace than many better-documented Mc- names.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Names in the Mc- family often began as “son of” patronymics, but some became so altered in spelling that their original personal-name base is now difficult to identify.