English
McMillan
McMillan comes from Scottish Gaelic Mac Maoláin ‘son of Maolán’, from maol ‘bald, tonsured’, and ultimately from Proto-Celtic *mailos.
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*mailos‘bald’reconstructed
- Old Irishc. 600–900máel‘bald, hornless, blunt’
- Scottish Gaelicmodernmaol‘bald, tonsured’
- Scottish Gaelic, derivedmodernMac Maoláin‘son of Maolán’
- EnglishtodayMcMillan
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*mailos‘bald’reconstructed
- Old Irishc. 600–900máel‘bald, hornless, blunt’
- Scottish Gaelicmodernmaol‘bald, tonsured’
- Scottish Gaelic, derivedmodernMac Maoláin‘son of Maolán’
- EnglishtodayMcMillan
The story
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Maoláin (‘son of Maolán’), a personal name derived from a diminutive of maol (‘bald, tonsured’).
Linked words
through Proto-Celtic *mailos ‘bald’
Today it means
name A surname from Scottish Gaelic.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Celtic *mailos / McMillan