McIntire
A Scottish and Irish Gaelic surname meaning “son of the carpenter.”
The #3,380 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,221 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McIntire is an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac an t-Saoir, meaning “son of the carpenter.” The Gaelic word for carpenter is saor (or saer in older forms), and the surname reflects that occupational term rather than a personal name. Historical spelling and pronunciation changes produced several forms, including McIntyre and McIntire.
History
The surname is especially associated with Scottish Gaelic naming, and it also appears in Irish contexts. English spellings vary because Gaelic sounds were often rendered in several different ways by clerks and record keepers. McIntire is one of the standard Anglicized spellings alongside McIntyre.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Gaelic phrase behind this surname literally contains the article “the,” so the name is closer to “son of the carpenter” than simply “son of carpenter.”
From the historical record
“lan, John -|- ruaidh, genit. of ruadh, red] MACINTIRE \ (CeltO Son of the Carpen- MACINTYREJter [Gael, and Ir. Mac-an-t- shaoirl The Gael. , and Ir. wrord for Carpenter (nom. case) is saor or saer', s does not appear in Macintyre because, according to Gael, phonetics, when a noun beginning with s is preceded by the…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)