McComb
An Anglicized Irish and Scottish surname that likely began as a patronymic name, though its exact root is uncertain.
The #6,106 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,976 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually treated as a shortened Anglicized form with the prefix Mc/Mac, meaning "son of." The second element has been explained in different ways in older sources, including a connection with a word for a valley or a nickname-like personal name, but those explanations are not certain. In practice, McComb is best understood as a Gaelic-origin surname whose second element was later reshaped in English spelling.
History
The name is found in Irish and Scottish contexts and appears in several spellings, including McComb, McCombs, McCoomb, and McCoombs. As with many Gaelic surnames, English clerks often simplified or varied the spelling over time, which explains the range of modern forms. In the United States, the surname is moderately uncommon but long established.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries grouped McComb with a cluster of similar names, showing how fluid Gaelic-to-English surname spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“ley, Kerley, Kerly, Kirley. triAC torn, MacComb, Mac Combs, MacCombes, Combes, Homes, Holmes. triAC tomviic, MacComick,”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames