Surname MacAlernon - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
MacAlernon: What does the surname MacAlernon mean?
The last name MacAlernon is derived from the Gaelic 'Mac Gille Fhlannchaidh', meaning 'son of the servant of (St) Flannchadh'. It is a patronymic surname which acts as a marker of identity and comes from the personal name of Flannchadh which comes from the Gaelic 'flann', meaning ‘colourful’ or ‘blood-red’.
MacAlernon is a clan originating in the south-west of Ireland primarily from County Kerry and Cork. The name is still seen in both locations today. The family is believed to have been an Irish Cenél Corraidhe sept, descended from Colla Dá Crích, a chieftain of the Dal Riata.
The MacAlernon family was subsequently involved in a number of Irish-Scottish disputes in the 13th and 14th centuries. They were engaged in several battles against the powerful O’Brien and O'Connor clans in County Kerry and Cork.
In the 1500s, the McAlernon family migrated to Scotland. They settled in the outer-Hebrides as well as regions of the mainland such as Fife, Perthshire, and Angus. In the 19th century, the Irish branch of the MacAlernon family re-established itself in Kerry.
Today the name is spread far and wide. MacAlernon descendants live in countries all over the world. The MacAlernon family is a proud, strong and resilient clan that has adapted and persevered throughout many centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisMacAlernon: Where does the name MacAlernon come from?
The surname MacAlernon can be found all over the world today. In Europe, the most populated countries with this surname are the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada, although the name is also found in smaller countries like Spain, Austria, and France. In North America, the surname can be found in many U.S. states, including California, Texas, New York, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. In the United Kingdom, MacAlernon is mostly concentrated in Scotland and Northern Ireland, though some families can be found in England and Wales as well. In Canada, the surname MacAlernon is most commonly found in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
Immigrants from countries in Europe are likely the source for the modern day MacAlernon surname, though it is impossible to trace its exact route. The origins of the name are believed to be Gaelic, from the Scottish and Irish regions of Ulster and Donegal. The most common coat of arms associated with this surname is a ships compass, as well as a ship’s anchor, suggesting the McClernon’s were once a seafaring people. Those bearing the MacAlernon surname are known to be fiercely loyal and fiercely independent, which could be reflective of some of the early characteristics of the family.
Variations of the surname MacAlernon
MacAlernon is a Scottish surname likely derived from the Gaelic Mac Alasdair, which is made up of the prefix “mac” meaning “son of” or “descendant of” and the personal name Alasdair, which may come from the Old Irish name meaning “brave” or “defender of mankind”. MacAlernon is commonly seen spelled as MacAlarnon, MacAlarne and MacAlarney. The most common variants of the name are MacAlister and MacAllister, which come from the Gaelic Mac Iáldesir, meaning “son of” or “descendant of” the “follower of Jesus”. The Isle of Skye had an entire clan of MacAlernon, which was so large that they had four distinct clan families; MacAlernon of Corry, MacAlernon of Edinbane, MacAlernon of Blackbook and MacAlernon of Polgarve.
MacAlarnon and its variants are commonly found among the Scottish diaspora in the United States, Canada and Australia. Common Anglicized and non-Gaelic variants of the name include MacAllerney, McAlarney, McCartney, MacCarter and Carmean. Other spellings include MacLearnon, McCallerney, McElernon, McCallernon and McClearne. The variants of MacAllister are also found in other countries such as Ireland; Mac'aleister, MacAlistir and MacAlestir are all possible spellings there.
The MacAlernon surname is also seen in Germany, where it is spelled as MacAlenon, MacAllenon, MacAllinon and MacAlnon. Other surnames derived from MacAlernon include MacAlearney, MacAlerney, MacAleerney, MacAllernon, McCorran and Galreno. Many of these variants have helped to spread the surname around the world, as it is seen in many countries now.
Famous people with the name MacAlernon
- Douglas MacAlernon: former French singer
- Madoc MacAlernon: Welsh-born actor
- Patrick MacAlernon: British-born aristocrat
- Terence MacAlernon: Irish-born actor
- William MacAlernon: Scottish-born playwright
- Earl of MacAlernon: a British peerage of Scotland
- Rory MacAlernon: an English actor
- Sir John MacAlernon: a British military officer
- Sir Kenneth MacAlernon: a Scottish Earl and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
- Duke of MacAlernon: an honorary English title
- Sam MacAlernon: Australian cricketer
- John Henry MacAlernon: an Irish politician
- Hugh MacAlernon: a Canadian industrialist
- Maurice MacAlernon: a French industrialist
- Henry MacAlernon: an Irish Earl and Field Marshal of the British Army