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Irish surname

McKnight: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac an Ridire (Woulfe also prints (MacKnight) in brackets under Mac Neachtain) · 'son of the knight' (Woulfe, under Mac an Ridire); under Mac Neachtain, where (MacKnight) is in brackets, 'son of Neachtan' (the pure one)

Woulfe (1923) prints MacKnight under two separate Irish surnames: Mac an Ridire, 'son of the knight', the Irish surname assumed by the FitzSimons of Westmeath; and, in brackets, under Mac Neachtain, 'son of Neachtan' (the pure one), which he calls a well-known Scottish surname from the neighbourhood of Lochow, with a branch settled in Co. Antrim. Matheson's 1890 index has 39 McKnight birth entries in Ireland, principally in Antrim and Down.

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Coat of arms associated with the McKnight surname
Irish formMac an Ridire (Woulfe also prints (MacKnight) in brackets under Mac Neachtain)
Meaning'son of the knight' (Woulfe, under Mac an Ridire); under Mac Neachtain, where (MacKnight) is in brackets, 'son of Neachtan' (the pure one)
CountiesAntrim, Down, Westmeath
Other spellings5

Origin of the McKnight name

Woulfe gives two origins. Mac an Ridire: 'the Irish surname assumed by the FitzSimons of Co. Westmeath, and perhaps also by offshoots of knightly houses in other parts of Ireland.' Mac Neachtain, with (MacKnight) in brackets: 'a well-known Scottish surname from the neighbourhood of Lochow. A branch of the family settled in Co. Antrim.'[1][2]

  1. 189039 McKnight birth entries in Ireland (38 spelled McKnight), 31 of them in Ulster.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. AntrimMatheson 1890: McKnight principally found in Antrim and Down; Woulfe: a Mac Neachtain branch settled in Antrim.[3][2]
Co. DownMatheson 1890: McKnight principally found in Antrim and Down.[3]
Co. WestmeathWoulfe: Mac an Ridire was assumed by the FitzSimons of Co. Westmeath.[1]

Other spellings

MacKnight · Knight · M'Kneight · MacNight · M'Night[1][2]

Scottish connection

Woulfe calls Mac Neachtain 'a well-known Scottish surname from the neighbourhood of Lochow', and prints MacNaghten, MacNaughton, MacNaught, MacNeight and MacKneight among its forms, with (MacKnight) in brackets. He adds: 'A branch of the family settled in Co. Antrim, where it has flourished considerably. This family has produced many distinguished men.'[2]

The McKnight coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the McKnight 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.

McKnight crest gifts

Clan Macknight Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapQA11 Classic Cap - Macknight Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Macknight Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Macknight Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap DP12 Macknight Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Macknight Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

McKnight surname: questions

Is McKnight Irish or Scottish?

Woulfe gives two origins. Mac an Ridire ('son of the knight') was assumed by the FitzSimons of Westmeath. Mac Neachtain, with (MacKnight) in brackets, is for him 'a well-known Scottish surname from the neighbourhood of Lochow', with a branch settled in Co. Antrim.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is McKnight found?

Matheson's 1890 birth index lists 39 McKnight entries in Ireland, 31 of them in Ulster, and says the name was principally found in Antrim and Down.[3]

What does McKnight mean?

Under Mac an Ridire Woulfe gives 'son of the knight'. Under Mac Neachtain he gives 'son of Neachtan' (the pure one).[1][2]

Is McKnight the same as McNaughton?

Woulfe lists MacNaughton and, in brackets, MacKnight as forms of Mac Neachtain. Matheson's 1901 list prints M'Knight [Knight] with M'Naghten, M'Naught, M'Night and others.[2][4]

Sources

  1. Mac an Ridire — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-an-ridire.php
  2. Mac Neachtain — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macn/mac-neachtain.php
  3. McKnight — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcknight.php
  4. M'Knight (list 1415) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1415.php

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