Carmack
A surname often explained as “dear son,” from Irish Gaelic elements meaning “dear” and “son.”
The #6,072 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,665 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is commonly explained from Irish Gaelic car, meaning “dear” or “beloved,” plus mac, meaning “son.” Taken together, the name would mean “dear son” or “beloved son.” The historical source excerpt gives this as a straightforward Gaelic formation, though it is brief and not a full dictionary entry.
History
Carmack appears in Anglophone records as an Irish surname and as an Anglicized form built from Gaelic name elements. In some cases it may also overlap in spelling with other surnames that developed independently or were reshaped in English-speaking countries. The modern surname is now found especially in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same excerpt that explains Carmack also groups it beside Carmichael, another Gaelic surname built from the element car meaning “dear.”
From the historical record
“Carlylc. Car, dGa.r ; lilc,X\\y. Beloved lily. Carmack. Car, dear ; mac, son. Dear son. Carmichacl. Car, dear ; Michael, a Hebrew word signify- ino- *' who is like God." Dear Michael. In Irish, Michael is written Miceal, the genitive of which is Midi.”
— Family Names from the Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman and ScotchNotable people named Carmack
- John Carmack (b. 1970)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.