McMillan
A Scottish and Irish surname meaning “son of the miller” or, in some cases, “son of the servant of St. John.”
The #3,043 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,243 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McMillan is usually taken from Gaelic patronymic forms based on the personal name Gille Mháillean or, more simply in later folk explanation, as a “Mc” surname tied to the name Millan/Millan. In Scottish and Irish surname tradition, it is often explained as meaning “son of the miller,” though some historical forms point instead to a Gaelic personal name connected with a saint’s devotee or servant. As with many Mc/Mac surnames, the spelling has been standardized in different ways over time.
History
The surname is strongly associated with Scotland, especially the southwest Highlands and Galloway, and it also appears in Ireland through migration and settlement. The Mac/McMillan families formed part of the wider Gaelic surname world, and later emigrants carried the name to North America and beyond. Modern spelling often varies between MacMillan and McMillan, with M’Millan and other older forms also found in records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is one of several Scottish names that became common in both Mac- and Mc- spellings, depending on family preference and record-keeping.