McGill Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McGill last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the McGill last name
Meaning of the McGill last name: son of the stranger. McGill is a Scottish and Irish surname from Gaelic Mac an Ghoill, "son of the stranger", a name given to a newcomer or Lowlander. The last name is common in Galloway and in Ulster, where many Scots settled. Curiously, McGill University in Montreal grew from the bequest of James McGill, a Glasgow-born fur trader.
Arms associated with the McGill name
Coats of arms associated with the McGill surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full McGill family history
This is only a glimpse of the McGill story. The full McGill history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted McGill coat of arms. Get the full McGill report.
McGill name FAQ
What does the McGill name mean?
Son of the stranger. Common variants include Magill, MacGill.
Where does the McGill surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Canada.
Is there a McGill coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McGill coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).