Where does “Mac” come from?
Mac (Irish) comes from Irish giolla, from Middle Irish gilla, from Old Norse gildr, from Proto-Germanic gildiz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰeldʰ- — to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay.
Mac (Irish): used in surnames
Definitions
- used in surnames
Ancestry of “Mac”, step by step
Mac traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Irish giolla
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Irish | giolla | youth; page, boy; gillie, attendant; manservant,... |
| 2 | Middle Irish | gilla | youth; male child, boy; messenger, page, servant |
| 3 | Old Norse | gildr | stout, brawny, of full worth; brawny, stout; of... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | gildiz | valuable, wholesome, precious |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰeldʰ- | to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay |