Where Does the MacPhee Surname Come From?

MacPhee is one more way McPhee has been written over the centuries. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “The son of Dubhshithe (the black man of peace)”. Records show MacPhee as one of the forms McPhee took over time. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists.

The 2010 US Census counted 1,145 people named MacPhee, ranking it number 22,471 among American surnames. Names that sound alike, such as MacFee, are easily confused in old records.

Looking for a MacPhee coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Research your MacPhee family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.