McNutt
An Irish and Scottish surname meaning “son of Nutt,” from a personal name of uncertain older origin.
The #3,834 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,443 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McNutt is a patronymic surname: the prefix Mc/Mac means “son of.” The second element is usually taken as a shortened form of an older personal name, Nutt or Nott, though the exact root is not certain. In some cases it may reflect an Anglicized Gaelic name that was reshaped into a familiar-looking English form.
History
The name is found in Irish and Scottish contexts and was later carried to North America by emigrants from those regions. Historical surname lists and indexes from the 19th century show McNutt alongside other Mc- names in Ulster- and Scotland-related material. In the United States it remains relatively uncommon but recognizable, especially in families of Irish or Scots-Irish descent.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because early record-keepers often spelled surnames phonetically, McNutt can appear in several forms in older documents and indexes.
From the historical record
“triAC TlVlAX)AT), TTlAC tltJA-OAC, MacNutt, Noud, Nowd ; Con- tUAC nwAllAin, Nolan. [way, ITlAC 6-OA, Cody, Coady ; Arch- deacon. iriAC Oibicin, Hobbikin, Hop- kin, Hopkins, Hopkinson.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames