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Irish surname

Magill: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac an Ghoill · 'son of the foreigner' (Irish 'gall')

Woulfe (1923) gives Magill among the forms of Mac an Ghoill, 'son of the foreigner', which he calls an Irish surname given to the descendants of some of the early Anglo-Norman settlers, with families of the name in every province. He also prints Magill under Mac Giolla, as a shortened form of some surname beginning Mac Giolla. In 1890, 69 of the 84 Magill and McGill birth entries in Ireland were in Ulster.

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Coat of arms associated with the Magill surname
Irish formMac an Ghoill
Meaning'son of the foreigner' (Irish 'gall')
CountiesAntrim, Armagh, Down, Donegal
Other spellings9
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Magill crest gifts

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Origin of the Magill name

Woulfe: Mac an Ghoill, 'son of the foreigner', 'an Irish surname given to the descendants of some of the early Anglo-Norman settlers. There were families of the name in every province.' Separately he prints Magill under Mac Giolla, 'a shortened form of some surname commencing with Mac Giolla'.[1][2]

  1. 189084 Magill/McGill birth entries in Ireland (65 Magill, 19 McGill); 69 in Ulster.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. AntrimMatheson: 'Magill' principally found in Antrim, Armagh and Down in 1890.[3]
Co. ArmaghMatheson: 'Magill' principally found in Antrim, Armagh and Down in 1890.[3]
Co. DownMatheson: 'Magill' principally found in Antrim, Armagh and Down in 1890.[3]
Co. DonegalMatheson: 'McGill' principally found in Donegal and Tyrone in 1890.[3]
Co. TyroneMatheson: 'McGill' principally found in Donegal and Tyrone in 1890.[3]

Other spellings

Macingill · M'Agill · M'Egill · MacGill · McGill · Gill · Mackel · Maguil · Mekill[1]

The Magill coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Magill surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Magill surname: questions

What does the surname Magill mean?

Woulfe lists Magill among the forms of Mac an Ghoill, 'son of the foreigner' (Irish 'gall'). He also prints Magill under Mac Giolla, as a shortened form of some surname commencing with Mac Giolla.[1][2]

Is Magill the same name as McGill?

Woulfe prints both MacGill and Magill among the forms under Mac an Ghoill and under Mac Giolla, and Matheson's 1890 birth index counts Magill (65) and McGill (19) in one entry. Matheson also lists MacGill and M'Gill with Magill in his varieties list.[1][2][3][4]

Where in Ireland was Magill found in 1890?

Matheson counts 84 entries (65 Magill, 19 McGill): Leinster 10, Munster 4, Ulster 69, Connaught 1. He says 'Magill' was principally found in Antrim, Armagh and Down, and 'McGill' in Donegal and Tyrone.[3]

Were there Magill families in every part of Ireland?

Woulfe says of Mac an Ghoill: 'There were families of the name in every province.'[1]

Sources

  1. Mac an Ghoill — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-an-ghoill.php
  2. Mac Giolla — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla.php
  3. Magill — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/magill.php
  4. Magill — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1159.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).