McInnis
A Scottish and Irish surname meaning “son of Innes” or “son of Angus,” depending on local tradition and spelling history.
The #4,475 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,919 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McInnis is an Anglicized Gaelic surname built on Mac/Mc, meaning “son of,” plus a personal name that was recorded in several related forms. In Scotland it is often linked to Innes, a name associated with the place-name Innes in Moray and sometimes treated as a clan-style surname; in Ireland it is frequently explained as an Anglicized form of Mac Aonghuis, “son of Angus.” Because English spelling was inconsistent, McInnis can reflect more than one Gaelic source in different families.
History
The surname is found chiefly in Scotland and in Scottish diaspora communities, especially in North America. In Ireland, similar-looking forms were often standardized under English spelling, which helped create overlap between Scottish and Irish lines. As with many Mac surnames, spelling was not fixed early on, so family branches may not share a single origin even when they share the modern form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
McInnis is one of those surnames where the same modern spelling can hide different Gaelic origins, making family history research especially important.