MacLeòid
Encyclopedia
MacLeòid is a masculine surname
in Scottish Gaelic. The name translates into English
as "son of Leòd". The feminine form of the name is NicLeòid, which translates into English as "daughter of Leòd". These surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. There are numerous Anglicised forms of MacLeòid. In the Irish language, MacLeòid is rendered as Mac Leóid; the feminine forms of this Irish name are NicLeóid, Bean Mhic Leóid, and Mhic Leóid.
as "son of Leòd". Today, however, the surname
MacLeòid does not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The name Leòd is a Scottish Gaelic derivative of the Old Norse
personal name Ljótr. This Old Norse personal name
is composed of an element which translates into English as "ugly".
as Mac Leóid. Like the Scottish Gaelic form, the Irish Mac Leóid translates into English as "son of Leód"; and like the Scottish Gaelic form, it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form of this Irish surname for unmarried females is Nic Leóid; this name is actually a contracted form of Iníon Mhic Leóid, which translates into English as "daughter of Mac Leóid". The form of Mac Leóid for married females is Bean Mhic Leóid, which translates into English as "wife of Mac Leóid"; this surname can also be represented in the contracted form Mhic Leóid.
, McCloud
, McLeod, McLoud
. Anglicised forms of Mac Leóid include MacLeod, MacCleod, and MacCloud. According to late 19th century Irish genealogist John O'Hart
, the English MacLeod is also an Anglicised form of the Irish Mac Giolla Mochadha, which is etymologically unrelated to MacLeòid and Mac Leóid.
, a 12th century 'abbot' of Brechin. The surname MacLeòid, and its various Anglicised forms, have also been borne by members of Clan MacLeod, a once powerful Scottish clan
, seated on the west coast of Scotland
. The leading branches of the clan are the MacLeods of MacLeod
. who are seated on Skye
; and the MacLeods of Lewis
, who were historically seated on Lewis
. The MacLeods of Clan MacLeod derive their surname from Leod
, a shadowy figure who does not appear in contemporary records, but is thought to have lived in the 13th century. The first members of the family to appear in contemporary records are Malcolm MacLeod
and Torquil MacLeod
, who are recorded in a royal charter
in about the year 1343.
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
in Scottish Gaelic. The name translates into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as "son of Leòd". The feminine form of the name is NicLeòid, which translates into English as "daughter of Leòd". These surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. There are numerous Anglicised forms of MacLeòid. In the Irish language, MacLeòid is rendered as Mac Leóid; the feminine forms of this Irish name are NicLeóid, Bean Mhic Leóid, and Mhic Leóid.
Etymology
The Scottish Gaelic MacLeòid originated as a patronym, in the form of mac Leòid, which translates into EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as "son of Leòd". Today, however, the surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
MacLeòid does not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The name Leòd is a Scottish Gaelic derivative of the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
personal name Ljótr. This Old Norse personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
is composed of an element which translates into English as "ugly".
Feminine form
MacLeòid is a masculine surname. The Scottish Gaelic form of this surname for females is NicLeòid. This feminine name is composed of the prefix Nic- which is an abbreviated form of the Scottish Gaelic nighean which translates into English as "daughter". Like the masculine form of the surname, NicLeòid no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father.Cognates
MacLeòid is rendered in IrishIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
as Mac Leóid. Like the Scottish Gaelic form, the Irish Mac Leóid translates into English as "son of Leód"; and like the Scottish Gaelic form, it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form of this Irish surname for unmarried females is Nic Leóid; this name is actually a contracted form of Iníon Mhic Leóid, which translates into English as "daughter of Mac Leóid". The form of Mac Leóid for married females is Bean Mhic Leóid, which translates into English as "wife of Mac Leóid"; this surname can also be represented in the contracted form Mhic Leóid.
Anglicised forms
Anglicised forms of MacLeòid, in use today, include MacLeodMacLeod
MacLeod and McLeod are surnames in the English language. Variant forms of the names are Macleod and Mcleod.Generally, the names are considered to be Anglicised forms of the Scottish Gaelic MacLeòid, meaning "son of Leòd". However, in some cases the names can also be Anglicised forms of the Irish...
, McCloud
McCloud (surname)
-People with the surnames:McCloud*Coyote McCloud, a disc jockey in Nashville, Tennessee*David J. McCloud , a Lieutenant General in the United States Air Force*George McCloud , an American former professional basketball player...
, McLeod, McLoud
McLoud (surname)
McLoud and MacLoud are surnames in the English language. The names are derived from the Scottish Gaelic MacLeòid....
. Anglicised forms of Mac Leóid include MacLeod, MacCleod, and MacCloud. According to late 19th century Irish genealogist John O'Hart
John O'Hart
John O'Hart was an Irish genealogist. He was born in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, Ireland. A committed Roman Catholic, O'Hart originally planned to become Catholic priest but instead spent 2 years as a police officer. He was an Associate in Arts at the Queen's University of Belfast...
, the English MacLeod is also an Anglicised form of the Irish Mac Giolla Mochadha, which is etymologically unrelated to MacLeòid and Mac Leóid.
Families
An early record of the surname is of Gillandres MacLeod, in 1227. Gillandres was likely a member of a noted clerical family that descended from LeodLéot of Brechin
Léot of Brechin is the first known Abbot of Brechin. He appears in three charters. The first of these is a Scoto-Latin charter recorded in the notitiae on the Book of Deer, a charter which explicitly dates to "the eighth year of the reign of David" which styles him "Léot ab Brecini"...
, a 12th century 'abbot' of Brechin. The surname MacLeòid, and its various Anglicised forms, have also been borne by members of Clan MacLeod, a once powerful Scottish clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
, seated on the west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The leading branches of the clan are the MacLeods of MacLeod
Chiefs of Clan MacLeod
The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod claim descent from Leod, a high-born Norse-Gael who is thought to have lived in the 13th century, but whose ancestors are known from multiple pedigrees at least into the early 12th or late 11th centuries...
. who are seated on Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
; and the MacLeods of Lewis
Clan MacLeod of Lewis
Clan Macleod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis, is a Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From the 14th century up until the beginning of the 17th century there were two branches of Macleods: the...
, who were historically seated on Lewis
Lewis
Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....
. The MacLeods of Clan MacLeod derive their surname from Leod
Leod
Leod is considered the eponymous ancestor and founder of Clan MacLeod and Clan MacLeod of Lewis. Almost nothing is known about him and he does not appear in any contemporary records. Tradition dating to the late 18th century made him a son of Olaf the Black who was King of Man...
, a shadowy figure who does not appear in contemporary records, but is thought to have lived in the 13th century. The first members of the family to appear in contemporary records are Malcolm MacLeod
Malcolm MacLeod (clan chief)
Malcolm MacLeod is considered to be the third chief of Clan MacLeod. He was the son of Tormod. Malcolm and his kinsman Torquil are the first MacLeod chiefs to appear in contemporary records. Clan tradition states he was the greatest hero of the clan and links him to the origin of the clan relic...
and Torquil MacLeod
Torquil MacLeod
Torquil MacLeod was a Hebridean lord and is today considered to be the founder of the MacLeods of Lewis, who are known in Gaelic as Sìol Torcaill...
, who are recorded in a royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in about the year 1343.