McMaster Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McMaster last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the McMaster last name
Meaning of the McMaster last name: the son of the master, a cleric. McMaster comes from Gaelic Mac an Mhaighstir, son of the master, probably referring to a cleric. The surname is found in Scotland and Ulster, and McMasters is a related spelling. This last name was carried to America by Ulster-Scots settlers.
Arms associated with the McMaster name
Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.
Get your full McMaster family history
This is only a glimpse of the McMaster story. The full McMaster 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 McMaster coat of arms. Get the full McMaster report.
McMaster name FAQ
What does the McMaster name mean?
The son of the master, a cleric.
Where does the McMaster surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States and Canada.
Is there a McMaster coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McMaster coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.