Surname Cormac - Meaning and Origin
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Cormac: What does the surname Cormac mean?
The last name Cormac is of Irish origin and is believed to have originated with an ancient Celtic King who lived in pre-Christian times in the region of Connacht. The name can be found in old manuscripts which date back as far as the ninth century.
The name Cormac likely means "Son of the Warrior", which is seen in the Gaelic spelling of the name Cormaic. The warrior may be interpreted as a metaphor for strength and courage. In Irish culture, it is a great honor for a family to trace its lineage back to a noble or courageous warrior.
Cormac is a very popular first name in Ireland. Over time it has become a popular name all over the world and is suitable for both boys and girls. There are several notable people from history who have the last name Cormac including the High King of Ireland, Cormac mac Airt, as well as Saint Cormac who was renowned as an Irish scholar, Monk and Bishop.
The name Cormac is associated with the values of strength, courage, leadership and loyalty. It is a name which signifies a person of noble character and good heart.
Order DNA origin analysisCormac: Where does the name Cormac come from?
The last name Cormac is Irish in origin, and is most commonly found throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom today. Ireland remains the strongest connection to the surname, as there are a number of popular Irish legends that feature heroes and gods by the name of Cormac.
Cormac is one of the most common surnames in Ireland and the United Kingdom, with approximately 5,000 bearers on the isles, according to the 2018 Inner Circle study. It ranks near the top in Ireland for popularity, almost rivaling the likes of Murphy, Kelly, and Byrne.
The name is also fairly common in the United States, where there are an estimated 2,500 Cormac’s living. While most are concentrated in areas of Irish and British immigration such as New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the surname is encountered in pockets across the United States.
The Cormac surname is also found in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scotland, and Wales. Those bearing the name can be found living in both rural areas as well as major cities, spread far and wide by waves of immigration throughout recent centuries.
In recent decades, many with the Cormac last name may have seen an increased presence online. It is often used as a username for platforms such as Twitter, WordPress, and Netflix – a testament to the surname’s reach even among non-family members.
Variations of the surname Cormac
The surname Cormac is an anglicised version of an Irish Gaelic name, Ó Cormaic. Other variants and spellings of the surname Cormac include Cormack, Cormick, Cormack and MacCormack.
These variants can be found in Ireland, Scotland, England and Australia. In Ireland, where the name Cormac is most often found, it is the Anglicised form of the surname MacCormack, which is a genitive form of the personal byname Cormac. The personal byname Cormac is derived from the Gaelic word "cormac" which means “son of a chariot fighter” or “son of the raven”.
Cormac is also commonly found as a forename in parts of Ireland and Scotland. In Scotland, the full version of the surname Cormack is primarily found in the region of Argyll and Bute, in the Highlands. In Ireland, the full surname Cormac is equally spread across the four provinces.
Other surnames related to CormMac in Ireland include Ó Cormaigh and MacGecormaic. In Scotland, the surnames MacCormack, Cormack and Cormick are derived from the Irish Cormac.
In England and Australia, many people bearing the surname Cormac, Cormack and Cormick, are descendants of Irish immigrants who fled Ireland during the period of the Irish diaspora during the 19th century Potato Famine. Thus, in these countries, the surname Cormac most likely originates from Ireland, and is usually of Irish Gaelic origin.
Famous people with the name Cormac
- Cormac McCarthy, Nobel Prize-winning novelist and playwright.
- Cormac O'Caoimh, a singer-songwriter from Cork, Ireland.
- Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Cardinal and former Archbishop of Westminster in the Catholic Church.
- Cormac Costello, an Irish Gaelic footballer.
- Cormac Rea, an Irish actor and television presenter.
- Cormac Beggan, an Irish goalkeeper for the Dublin Senior Football team.
- Cormac Burke, an Irish solicitor and author.
- Cormac Eastwood, a British actor, screenwriter, and producer.
- Cormac McCloskey, an American economist and an intellectual historian.
- Cormac Battle, a former Irish rugby union player.