THE
VARIETY OF ALL HIGHLAND NAMES
It's sometimes said that it's not the spelling of Highland names
that's important but the way they sound. However, the pronounciation of
the original names varied from area to area of Scotland (and Ireland) and
this is perhaps the main reason for the differences in spelling, since the
Gaelic appelations were so difficult for English or Scots-speaking
officials that they put down the nearest aproximation that they could to
the sounds given them by their informants. Consistency in spelling was not
in any case a medieval or early modern virtue; and it is not unusual to
find sixteenth century royal clerks recording the name of the same
individual in two or three different ways in the same document. Further
complications arise from the use of medieval French at the royal court in
the Middle Ages, and Latin both in official documents and clan histories
right down to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The process of
transcription and translation between three or four different languages
has created some truly monstrous variations over the centuries.
English-speaking Ministers and Session Clerks filling in the Old Parish Registers of Births and Marriages had similar problems in later centuries. They either put down a phonetic interpretation of the Gaelic names they were unfamiliar with - or put down an English version, with the spelling that they believed was right. Since most versions of surnames come from the OPRs - patronymics being more usual in earlier sources - this is where the greatest variety in all clan names mostly come from. In some cases, of course, the English speaking Church officials became so fed up with the "barbarous Erse" names that they simply "Englished" them to something else entirely; so in Argyllshire McIlveils became Bells, and McIlleghuirms became Blues.
MORE M'MILLANS THAN
MOST
There are probably more variations on Macmillan than most because of the
two Gaelic versions of the name - MacGhillemhaoil and MacMhaolain
- each of which has been spelt in many different ways over the
centuries, and in the various regions of the country in which members of
the clan have lived. As the full list of versions so far discovered
illustrates - see below - the basis of many of the phonetic variations is
the genitive form of "maol"; i.e. "mhaoil". With the
Gaelic pronunciation of "mh" as the English "v"
(and in practice as "w" too), and the multitude of local
versions of the vowels "aoi", there must be many more possible
variations.
A cautionary note must be added about some versions on the list. While "McMoyle/Mak-mul" may be versions of the name "MacMhaoil", these "sons of the bald one" may not be Macmillans - in other words descendants of the "Gillemaol", the "bald/tonsured servant". The omission of the "Gille / ‘ille" in front of the "Mhaoil", or the "ain" after it suggest a possible (but by no means certain) distinction. Then there is the question of Millans, O'Mullins and the other Mac-less ones (who are not included on the list given overleaf). While I have found Macmillans settling in England and discarding the "Mac" (in one case resuming it when returning north of the border!) and even discovered the same occurrence in the Campbeltown OPR in Argyllshire - it remains a moot point just how many Millans/Mullins or others of a similar name will definitely be of the Clann an Mhaoil. O'Mullins will almost certainly be from Ireland, and not part of the Scottish Clan MacMillan; though many of the Ulster McMillans and McMullens are, having emigrated there from nearby Argyll and Galloway.
“MAC” AND “MC”
It is often said that Mc names are Irish, and Mac
names Scottish. While it is true that Mc is the most
common form employed in Ireland, it is also the usual form in the Scottish
Lowlands - and by no means uncommon in the Highlands. The fact is, the two
forms are entirely interchangeable. Indeed most members of the clan,
wherever in Scotland their family came from, will have ancestors recorded
with different versions of the name than the one they now insist upon (and
not only in relation to the Mac or Mc but as indicated above, in
terms of general spelling too).
Mc actually stands for the abreviation M’ and you will find it recorded still in the intermediate form M` in the index books to the Statutory registers of births, deaths and marriages in New Register House in Edinburgh. While it is true that mac is the original, its proper use is as a patronymic not a surname - and therefore with a small, not a large "m"; and a large letter for the given name that follows. The transition from patronymics to surnames was a lengthy and complicated matter, with some families in many clans preferring to be known - for a few generations, or forever afterwards - by a different patronymic to that of the greater clan. For this reason Project MAOL usage will be:
Mac with a small "m" as a personal patronymic - i.e. Gilchrist macCormic; with a large "M" as a subsurname - i.e. MacMurachadh (sons of Murdoch Macmillan, said to form a Kintyre sept though few have ever been found!), and "M'millan" in clan indexes, representing both MacMillan and McMillan - as well as Macmillan (perhaps the best version to use as a surname so as to avoid muddle with patronymic versions given above). Clanspeople preferring to follow the Chief’s example and use MacMillan, may be interested to know that his 18th century ancestors in Campbeltown are usually recorded as McMillan!
So there really is no “correct” way to spell the clan surname. The Clan Centre will always try, however, in relation to 20th century records, and in modem correspondence, to use the spellings preferred by the families in question. We hope, nevertheless, that the above notes, and the list below, will both explain - and to a certain extent excuse us - when we don't do it your way!
THE
LIST OF RECORDED
SPELLINGS OF M'MILLAN
Mac'Illemhaoel
Mac-na-Maoile
MacElmail
MacElmeel
MacElmoyle
MacGhillemhaoil
Macgilbile
MacGilmole
Macgilveil
MacIlemoyle
MacIllemhool
MacIlleveole
MacIlmoil
*MacKevoil
Macklvaill
MacKmallen
Mackmellon
Mackmillion
MacKmolene
Mackmulane
**Mackmull
Mackmyllan
***Macknilliam
MacMallen
MacMhaolain
Macmilan
Macmilian
MacMillan
Macmillan
Macmillen
Macmillian
MacMillion
**MacMoil
MacMolan
Macmolane
MacMolini
**Macmul
MacMulane
MacMuleni
MacMullen
Macmullen
MacMullin
Macmullin
MacMulling
MacMylan
MacMyllan
MacNamell
MacNamil
Macquemullan
**Macvail
Makgillemuil
Makmillan
Makmollane
Makmulane
Makmullane
Makmyllan
Makmyllane
Makmyllen
McElmeel
*McGhavile
McGillemoil
Mcgillemoill
McGillemoill
McGillemoyll
McGillemule
McGillevoyll
McGillimoyle
McGilmole
McGilmoyle
McGilvaoil
McGilveall
McGilveill
McGilvoy
*McHevoul
*McHoul
*McHoull
*McHowall
*McHowell
McIlevail
McIleveule
McIlevoil
McIlimhewil
McIllemoyll
McIllemull
McIllevail
McIllevoill
McIllvaoil
McIllvoll
McIllywoul
McIlmail
McIlmale
McIlmiline
McIlmilline
McIlmoil
McIlmoill
McIlmoyle
McIlovyll
McIluvail
McIlvail
McIlvaile
McIlveall
McIlveile
McIlveoll
McIlvoail
McIlvoil
McIlvoile
McIlvoill
McIlvoille
McIlvole
McIlvoll
McIlvoyel
McIlvoyle
McIlvoyll
McIlvyle
McIlwoyll
McKilvoile
Mckmillan
McKmillan
McMallan
McMallen
McMallin
McMelane
McMelen
McMellen
McMellian
McMellion
McMellon
McMeylane
Mcmeylane
***McMilam
McMilan
McMilane
McMilen
McMileon
McMilion
McMillain
McMillaine
***McMillam
McMillan
Mcmillan
McMilland
McMillane
McMilleen
McMillen
***McMilliam
McMillian
McMillin
McMillion
Mcmillion
McMillon
McMillone
McMolane
McMolen
McMollan
McMolland
McMollane
McMollem
McMollen
McMollim
McMollin
McMollone
McMullwne
McMolyne
McMouln
McMoylane
**McMoyle
McMoylen
McMuillane
McMuilline
McMulan
McMuleon
McMuline
McMulion
McMulione
McMullain
McMullan
McMulland
McMullane
McMullen
McMullens
McMullian
McMullin
McMulling
McMullins
McMullion
McMullione
McMullon
McMulyione
McMwlane
Mcmylen
McMyllane
McNomoille
*McOvill
McUlvoyl
McUlvoyll
TOTAL: 195 [but see entries marked with asterisk(s) and explanations given below]
N.B. All forms without Mac/Mc/M’ have been omitted; but there are examples of 18th cent. English Millans appearing in Scotland with the patronymic form of the surname. There are also records of Mulison /Mulansone/Melanesone in 16th cent. Scotland; as well as from the 17th cent. in Nova Scotia & France as Melancon.
*MacKevoil in the notes of Andrew Lang’s “The Highlands in 1750” is clearly a misprint, as the word to which it refers in the main text is McIlevoil. It is included here, however, as a significant illustration of the process by which so many variations appear; even as late as 1898, when this was published.
McGhavile appears here on the same basis, though the Gh would probably not have been sounded; making it more akin to the name McOvill: which is in fact recorded in a government document for the Lochaber M’millans. If this version applies, so then may the variants of McHevoul / McHoul / McHowel: though it should not be assumed that these are always M’millans, as the last two also occur as versions of M’coul / M’doul; i.e. M’dowel / M’dougal
** Mackmull / McMoyle etc. could as easily stand for the sons of bald men as for M’millans; while M’vail is claimed by the M’gregors & M’kays as well as the Camerons (amongst whom it may be a version of M’phail).
***Macknilliam / McMilam etc. obviously could be versions of M’william, especially those spelt with the final i. But as variants of M’millian / M’milliam abound; and as versions without the final i (such as McMillam) are clearly in some cases simple misprints of McMillan, it’s quite possible some versions of McMilliam do also stand for M’millan.
**** McVolan could be “M’Mhaolain” since mh is pronounced like the English v; but the record of it quoted by Somerled MacMillan actually occurs in a patronymic as vic Wolan (vic / mhic is genitive of mac; while w = v in medieval Scots), and seems in fact to be a misprint of vic Jhohan - i.e. mac John - so genuine sightings are still awaited.
OLD VERSIONS IN THE NEW WORLD
It’s interesting to note that while in Britain most clanspeople now use one of the three standardised versions - Macmillan, MacMillan, McMillan - in North America many of the old spelling variants still survive. Indeed, amongst the most vigorous of family groups in the USA are the Florida McMullens, the Mississippi McMillins, and the Virginia McMullans.
Please note that the above list is regularly being added to as new versions are found. These are usually mentioned first in the Newsletter of the Clan MacMillan Centre, and published in an updated list as Information Sheet No. 7.
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