McNabb
A surname usually understood as a shortened form of MacNabb, probably meaning “son of Nabb” or “descendant of Nabb.”
The #3,583 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 31,077 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McNabb is generally treated as a reduced form of MacNabb, with Mac meaning “son of” in Gaelic. The second element appears to be a personal name or nickname, though its original sense is not certain from the historical sources. Some 19th-century writers also linked Nabb-like forms with other surnames, but for McNabb the standard explanation is that it is a Gaelic patronymic built on Mac + Nabb.
History
The name is found in Scottish and Irish surname traditions, and later appears in English- and North American-recorded spellings with and without the Mac/ Mc prefix. Historical surname compilers note variants such as MacNabb, Mac Anabb, and McNabb. In modern usage, McNabb is the most familiar Anglicized spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name was already being discussed in 19th-century surname lists, where McNabb appears alongside many other Mac- surnames in North American records.
From the historical record
“NABB I a contr. of MacNabb, q.v. 2 a pet form of Abel, q.v., with attracted N-. , 3 a (North.) form of Knapp, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)