MacQueen: Last Name Origin and Family Crest

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named MacQueen, so the heraldry linked to McQueen is a starting point, not an automatic right.

Family name meaning

The name MacQueen is closely linked to McQueen. Its meaning, shared with McQueen, is “son of Suibhne, 'pleasant'”.

Before spelling was fixed, McQueen was also written MacQueen. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Related forms: McQueyn, MacSween and McSween. About 982 people in the United States were recorded as MacQueen in 2010, placing it 25,226 on the national list. Names that sound alike, such as MacQuinn, are easily confused in old records.

Research your MacQueen family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.