If your surname begins 'Mc' or 'Mac', does the rest of the name start with a capital letter?

For instance, is it Macgregor or MacGregor or does it vary? Cheers!|||It actually varies. Most of the time (today) it is seen with the first letter after Mc or Mac capitalized. And that appears to be the convention used for a long time.





But it is just convention. If the "prefix" is Mc, then you almost ALWAYS find the next letter capitalized. Because the combination of the letters "Mc" does not allow it to "fit" as a single word. However, "Mac" can easily flow into subsequent letters as a word - the example given above "Macgregor" just looks right. But "Mcgregor" doesn't.





But it is convention. In the earliest usage, the "Mc" and "Mac" were actually separated from the father's name. So the proper form would be





Donald Mac Gregor (Donald son of Gregor) and his son would be Somename Mac Donald.





Once patronymics forms of surnames were abandoned for what is now traditional family surnames, the "person" who established that surname just took his form of name (Somename Mac Donald) and made it a what is now traditional family surname form (MacDonald) and all his family and descendants from then on were MacDonalds - though few were actually "son of Donald".|||Its always a capital letter.|||yes|||Almost always with a capital:





McDonald


McLeod etc





However there are variations:





Mackay and MacKay for example





However, Macgregor is never right.|||as far as i am aware if its a big M and little c - then yes the next letter is a capital and sits next to teh little c. but when its mac it is usually Mac, then space then another capitial. i think.





my name has big M and little c and a cap. next door! and is from ireland - as i understand it they often drop the pre-fix as i think it means son of ..





hth a little!





emma x|||It's always a capital letter.. It derives from the Irish 'mac' meaning 'son of'.... They were originally separate words but over time have merged!|||Yepp..our last name is Mc then capital G, no space.|||Since the origin or Mc or Mac means 'son/daughter of..' (father's name), then there should always be a capital at the main name. I.E. John MacGregor is 'John, son of Gregor' etc...|||yes the next letter starts with a capital letter because that is the actual surname the mc or mac is like a clan name or the same as son off ,|||Usage varies. Always respect the way people spell their own names, of course.





Originally Mac Gregor would have been so spelt in English: in the original Gaelic it means Son of Gregor. Mc is just an abbreviation, and the dropping of the space, and the spelling with a small 'g' are merely indications that the name is losing touch with its Gaelic origin and is being treated like any other surname: Hardman, for example, is also now a single word.





The variations are natural and not significant.|||yes it is.





Mc and Mac are a contraction of an old Gaelic sentance meaning 'son of' which means the rest of the name is the actual surname.


For instance. MacGregor means. Son of Gregor. with the Gregor being the actual surname this would of course start with a capital letter.|||It always starts with a capital letter, but ,apparently, computers don't recognise this!! It has been pee-ing off my dad for months now!!!! We are a bunch of Mac T...s and would like to be known as such.|||Mac/Mc means son of so the name of the father or his profession is capitalized.





MacGregor= son of Gregor


McMahon= son of Mathgamhain


McTier= son of Priest


MacNeill/MacNiall = son of Niall





In olden days the father's name was capitalized but the mac was not---mac Ceinedhe = son of Kennedy|||No the rest of the name doesn't allways start with a Capital letter. My maiden name began with Mac and never continued with a capital letter. There are many names with Mac and Mc that continue without.|||There is no hard and fast rule here. It depends upon the origin of the name and the spelling that the person whose name it is prefers to use.





For instance, I work with a woman whose last name is "Mackey" and my partner's last name is "McMahan".|||Yes always with a capitol is usually the rule..|||Just make sure you get married to a MacHine, and not to a Machine ....|||Normally yes, it would be. Mac, in Gaelic, meaning 'son of' and Nic meaning 'daughter of.'





Hence I am Mac Leoid in Gaelic, and my sister (until she got married, at least) was Nic Leoid.





It does, however, vary. I've seen Macleod, MacLeod and Mac Leod written by various members of my family. Technically, there's nothing wrong with any of them.|||It can be either way.


Check out this link, it might help answer your question.





http://www.newandusedbooks.com/index.cfm鈥?/a>





Just because its Mac doesn't necessarily mean its Scottish either, it could be Irish. My clan is McKinnon, but I'm Scottish, go figure.