McWhorter
A Scottish and Irish surname likely built on a Gaelic Mac- form, though the exact original meaning is uncertain.
The #3,801 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,156 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McWhorter is an anglicized surname with the Gaelic prefix Mac-, meaning "son of." The Woulfe excerpt places it among forms such as Mac Whorter and Mac Wherter, suggesting it is a later spelling of a Gaelic family name that was reshaped in English. The exact underlying Gaelic personal name is not clear from the surviving evidence, so the literal sense remains uncertain.
History
The surname is found in both Scottish and Irish-American contexts, where spellings were often altered to fit English pronunciation and spelling habits. In North America, McWhorter became the more familiar fixed form, while older records may show MacWhorter, MacWherter, or similar variants. Because the source evidence is thin and partly incidental, the deeper clan or family connection should be treated cautiously.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Historic records show several spelling variants side by side, which is a clue that the name was being normalized by English-speaking clerks rather than preserving one fixed medieval spelling.
From the historical record
“ITlAc -A|ir;Ai|t, rriAC ^\\-cm\[, Mac Arthur, MacCarthur, Mac Carter, MacWhorter, Mac Wherter, Carthurs, Arthurs, Carthur, Carter, etc. rriAc AfCAiT), MacAskie. Mac Caskie, Caskey.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames