Surname McCaleb - Meaning and Origin

McCaleb: What does the surname McCaleb mean?

McCaleb is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin that traces back to the Gaelic name "MacCathail" or "MacCathal", which literally translates to "son of Cathal." The name Cathal itself is derived from two elements: "cath," which means battle, and "val," meaning rule or govern. Thus, the surname McCaleb can be interpreted to mean "son of the battle ruler." Also, it was sometimes used as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "MacAmhalghaidh." Like many surnames, McCaleb has various spellings, such as MacCaleb, McCale, MacAle, and others. Surnames were often used to identify individuals in larger communities or to indicate familial relationships. Despite its specific historical and cultural origins, the McCaleb surname is now used by individuals and families around the world.

McCaleb: Where does the name McCaleb come from?

The surname McCaleb is of Scottish and Irish origin. It is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic "Mac Cathmhaoil", derived from "cathmhaoil", a compound of the elements "cath", a battle, and "mhaol", bald or blunt. The Scottish McCalebs hail from Caithness, a historic county in the far north of Scotland.

Different variations in the spelling of the same original surname are a very common occurrence. Variations of the name McCaleb include McCaul, McCawl, MacCaul, MacCawell, McCawell and many more.

In the early 19th century, many Irish migrated to North America in search of land and opportunities. Today, individuals with the surname McCaleb are found primarily in the United States, especially in states like Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma. There are also McCaleb families in Australia and UK. However, it should be noted that this surname is not very common; even in the places named, it will not be one of the most prevalent surnames.

Variations of the surname McCaleb

The surname McCaleb is of Scottish origin and is from the personal name Caleb. There are numerous variations of this surname due to transliteration from Gaelic and regional dialect differences. Alternate forms of spelling include MacCaleb, Mccaleb, Maccaleb, MacCallop, and MacHale.

The prefix 'Mc' or 'Mac' commonly means 'son of' in Scottish and Irish surnames, hence 'McCaleb' or 'MacCaleb' might denote 'son of Caleb'.

Similar surnames like Mccalip, Mccallie, Mccally, Mccalib, or Mccallib may also occur due to various reasons such as misspellings, phonetic spelling by an official recording the name, or intentional change by the bearers of the name themselves to blend in with the local population.

Given names like Caleb may also be utilized by some families as a surname in honor of a prominent ancestor with the said name.

In some cases, people have Anglicized their Gaelic names when they migrated to English-speaking regions. So, Scottish or Irish families with similar surnames might have changed it to Caleb, Kale, or Callum.

However, it's essential to note that names with similar spelling might not always have the same origin or meaning. A genealogical investigation would be most accurate to trace the origins of a specific surname.

Famous people with the name McCaleb

• Bobby McCaleb: professional race car driver and winner of NASCARs Great American Race.
• Brian McCaleb: Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer.
• Erica McCaleb: former professional motocross racer and record-setting ATV racer.
• Jason McCaleb: former pro ice hockey player.
• Michael McCaleb: former NBA player and television sports analyst.
• Roger McCaleb: renowned American sculptor and installation artist.
• Steve McCaleb: award-winning Broadway and off-Broadway actor and stage director.
• Austin McCaleb: singer/songwriter who has been featured in several quick films.
• Mariah McCaleb: award-winning country singer-songwriter.
• Will McCaleb: 2019 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor nominee.
• Ryan McCaleb: 2-time Emmy nominated TV and film actor and producer.
• David McCaleb: former professional cyclist and founder of the New York City Marathon.
• Garret McCaleb: world-record holder for highest number of backflips in a row.
• John McCaleb: owner of a successful real estate business and two-time world chess champion.
• Justin McCaleb: Pro-skateboarder and multi-X Games medalist.
• Patrick McCaleb: Senior Vice President of Conagra Brands.
• Tommy McCaleb: NHL goaltender and World Junior Championships gold medalist.
• Kara McCaleb: renowned American abstract painter.
• Kendra McCaleb: television and film actress best known for her roles as Julie Walker in the Judging Amy, and as Julie in the Scary Movie franchise.
• Kristin McCaleb: professional photographer, featured in National Geographic Magazine.

Other surnames

McCalibMcCalipMcCallMcCallanMcCallenMcCallinMcCallionMcCallonMcCallumMcCallyMcCalmont