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Clan Names

Names associated with the Clan MacTavish: The following names are from "Surnames of Scotland" by Professor George Black (1866-1948), 12th Printing, 1999, ISBN 8-87104-172-3, The New York Public Libary, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. This book is recommended by the National Library of Scotland for researching your family genealogy and a copy resides in the Lyon Office in Edinburgh. Another book of expertise in this area is The Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands by Frank Adams, 7th Editon revised by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, Lord Lyon King of Arms.

Professor George Black retired from the service of The New York Public Library where he had been connected for 35 years. The material for this works, which had been collected for over 40 years, was put in order and made ready for publication.

The names with "links" are the major names in the published works. To view the information simply click on the link. The additional names are variant spellings. Some name information may appear in pdf.

Caish(e) Cas Case Cash Cass

M’Awis M’Cawis M’Caws M’Cuse M’Thomas MacAves MacAvis MacAvish MacAwis MacAwishe MacAws MacCamish MacCash MacCaueis MacCauish MacCause MacCavish MacCavss MacCaweis MacCawis MacCaws MacComb MacComish MacGilchois MacGilhosche MacGillhois MacHomas MacIlhaos MacIlhois MacIlhoise MacIlhose MacIlhouse MacIllhois MacIllhos MacIllhose MacKawes MacKilhoise MacKillhose MacKlehois MacLaws MacLehose Macomish MacTaevis MacTamhais MacTause MacTaveis MacTavish MacTawisch MacTawys Mactawys MacThamais MacThamhais MacThavish MacThom MacThomais MacThomas Macthomas MacTomais Makavhis Makavhis Makawis Makaws Makcaus Makcawis Makcaws Makcawys Makgilhois Makgilhoise Makthome M'Ash McAves McCaueis McCavish McCaweis McCawis McComa McComas McCuse McKawes McTais1 McThomas McThome Micklehose Mucklehose (VcCavyes/McCavyes VcKaviss/McKaviss )

Steavensone Steinstoune Steiuinsoun Steivinson Stephen Stephenson Steuen Steuin Steven Stevens Stevenson Stevenston Stevenstone Stevenstoune Stevingstoun Stevinsone Stevinstine, Stevinstoun, Stevisone, Stevisoune, Stevyn. Stevynsoune Stewinsone Stewinsoune Stewinstoun Stewyne Stewynsone Stewynsounne Steynstoune Steywynson Sthevinson Sthevinsone Stinstone Stivan Stiven Stivensonm Stivensone Stivenstoune Stiving Stivinson Stueinsoun Stevensone Stvynesone (The Stevens/Stephens were invited by the 26th Chief to become a connected name of Clan MacTavish.)

Taes Tais Taise Taish Taiss Tam Tameson Tamesone Tammas Tamson Tamsone Taus Taweson Tawesson Tawis Taws Tawse Tawseon Tawseson Tawson Tawst Tawus Tamesone Thom Thomas Thomason Thomasson Thomassone Thomassoun Thome Thompson Thoms Thomson Thomsone Thomsoun Thomsoune Tomson Tomsone Tomsoun

Tod/Todd2

(Note: Research continues to be done on these surnames.)

We would welcome information on any additional names and/or variant names related to Clan MacTavish. However published source reference is required for any name change(s) and the final decision rests in the hands of the Chief of Clan MacTavish.

The surname MacTamhais is the Gaelic for the more modern spelling of MacTavish. MacTamhais is pronounced (heard by the ear) as "Mac Tavis." ( Sources: "Surnames of Scotland", Professor George Black, New York Public Library, and "Scottish Surnames.")
MacTAVISH. G. Mac Tamhais. (G. = Gaelic)
Anglicized: MacTamhais (MacTavish) = Thom(p)son

Gaelic Pronunciation of MacTamhais:
Mac - pronounced as Mac
T - pronounced T
a - pronounced as "a" in hat
mh - pronounced as "v" in very
a - pronounced as "a" in hat
is - pronounced as is in list

North Knapdale

Information from Surnames of Scotland

"Many names explained in this works have not survived as surnames, but it is never safe to say of any given name that it is extinct."
"The use of fixed surnames or descriptive names appears to have commenced in France about the year 1000, and such names were introduced into Scotland through the Normans a little over 100 years later."
"The first people in Scotland to acquire fixed surnames were the nobles and great landowners, who called themselves, or were called by others, after the lands they possessed. (Example: Dunardry, Chief of Clan MacTavish) Surnames originating in this way are known as territorial, but it does not necessary that every MacTavish or Campbell were a descendant of the first recorded of those names."
"A large number of Scottish surnames are derived from the trade or office of their first bearers. (Examples: Shearsmith, 1675; Customer, 1670; Feltmaker, 1671; Shankweaver, 1652)"
"Contrary to the common view, I have found few of our surnames to be derived from nicknames. Ewn: 'What on superficial examination appear to have been personal epithets are often something entirely different, misunderstanding arising through failure to grasp various processes of corruption, modification, or mutation.'"
"It was not uncommon practice in the late Middle Ages (14th to 16th centuries) for two brothers to have the same Christian name, a custom which has caused much confusion and embarrassment to genealogists in preparing family histories." (Example: Donald and Donald MacTavish, sons of John MacTavish of Dunardry.)
"In Gaeldom, after the introduction of Christianity, a child born on a saint's day was baptized as the mael (later maol), i.e., the "bald" or "tonsured" servant or devotee of that saint".
1. Example: Colin Maol Maith, father of Taus Coir. In another source, I found that Maith may mean "noble." Could it be that Colin Maol Maith was Colin, devotee or servant of the noble? Alexander I would certainly have been considered a noble.
2. Mael Muire was the daughter of Kenneth MacAlpine who married Aed Finlaith, King in Ireland and was an ancestor of Taus Coir. "Mael in early times was confused with mal "chief, prince," from the Old Celtic maglos.
3. After the 12th century maol was gradually displaced by gille 'servant, lad.'"
4. Example: Mael Coluim III (Maeolcholuim) - Malcolm III - (Disciple or Devotee of Saint Columba).
"People took on the name of a Clan Chief, but that did not mean they were descended from the Chief. The Gordons were hardly settled in Strathbolgy when the whole country around was full of men calling themselves Gordon. This does not mean that the former inhabitants were killed off, but that the native people having themselves no surnames, readily adopted that of their new lords. In some cases we find the adoption of the new name taking place by written band. A great many things were done two, three, or more hundred years ago to "please the lairds," and "changing one's surname was one of these things."
Use of Mac - "The use with the Highland prefix 'Mac' of familiar or affectionate diminutives of rendering of Christian names as denoted by the terminal 'ie' seems, as far as my observation goes," says the late A. M. Mackintosh, "to have been practically confined to Highland districts."
"Gaelic surnames (there are strictly speaking no longer any patronymics) out to be written as one word. As a prefix to a name Mac should never be followed by a capital letter. No Macdonald at the present day is son of one called Donald, for the simple reason that Donald here has lost its signification as a personal name, and with "Mac" prefixed has become a different surname. Of course as surnames are personal property, a man is quite at liberty spell and write his name as he pleases. However, in a works like this today, we cannot enter Macdonald under M' in one place, Mc in another, and under Mac in a third, as is done in telephone directories in the United States."
"The names introduced into Britain by the Normans are nearly all territorial in origin. These names were of three kinds: (1) names of Norse origin which their ancestors had carried into Normandy; (2) names of Germanic origin, which the Frankish conquerors had brought across the Rhine and which had ousted the old Celtic and Latin names from France; and (3) Biblical names and names of Latin and Greek Saints."
Corrupt Spelling of Names - "During the Middle Ages the knowledge of the art of writing was confined largely to churchmen, and when they had occasion to record a surname there was no fixed rule of orthography to guide them. They therefore wrote down the names, especially such as were unfamiliar to them, in forms suggested by their sound."

Many times, you will hear people say that Mc is the "Irish" way of naming. This is incorrect. Mc has nothing to do with whether a person is Irish or Scottish. Mc and M' are simply corrupt forms of Mac. Refer to Black's item #12 directly above and the following three paragraphs.

"MAC (wrongly contracted M', Mc) is a Gaelic prefix occurring in Scottish names of Gaelic origin, Mactavish, Macdonald, Maclean, and the like, meaning 'son.' The word corresponds to son in names of Teutonic origin (Lat. filius). It corresponds partly to Irish O, although this rightly means 'descendant.'

In Irish Gaelic Mac regularly becomes Mag (gen. Meig) before a vowel, l and r (O'Maille, Annals of Ulster, p. 51n) When part of a surname both Mac and Mag are treated alike; fully stressed when no Christian name preceded, unstressed when coming between Christian name and surname. This change of Mac to Mag does not occur in Scots Gaelic with the exception of the dialect of Argyllshire, where Macgee or Magee is from Irish Mag Aodha and not from Scots Gaelic MacAodlh. We have also MagLeod and MagLachlan.

In the Middle Ages, again, the prefix does not in every case prove, where other evidence is wanting, that its bearer is the son of a Gael, for the word has been taken by, or given to some who were of non-Gaelic origin, as MacThorfinn, MacThore, MacThorsteyn and so on."

Footnotes:

1 Commons of Argyle, 1685 - furnished by Patrick Thompson

2 Todd is a name split between Clan MacTavish and Clan Gordon. After tracing your family genealogy, if they originated in the Highlands, the connection is Clan MacTavish - in the eastern area of Scotland, the connection is Clan Gordon.

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©Patricia Adams and Clan MacTavish
March 1, 2006
Items may not be copied to other web sites or for personal gain without the written consent of
Patricia Adams and Steven MacTavish of Dunardry, Chief of Clan MacTavish Thistle

Page created: 10 March 2006
Page updated: 28-Nov-2006

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