Surname MacQuade - Meaning and Origin
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MacQuade: What does the surname MacQuade mean?
The origin of the surname MacQuade is Scottish-Irish, derived from the personal name MacUata. This name is derived from the Gaelic “Mac Uathadh” which is composed of two elements. The first, “mac,” is an old Gaelic patronymic prefix meaning “son of.” The second part, “Uathadh,” is an old Irish personal name meaning “dreadful one” or “terrible in battle.” There are five distinct branches of the MacQuade family in Scotland and Ireland. These include MacQuades from Inverness, Inishowen, Glens of Antrim, Tyroneth, and Argyll.
During the Middle Ages, the MacQuade family had a long history of war, often fighting against the British in the Highland Clans. They fought in several battles in Scotland, including the Battle of Culloden in 1746, in which they were on the side of the Jacobite clans. However, the clan’s allegiance changed in the early 1800s, when they became supporters of King George III.
Today, the surname MacQuade is not particularly common. It is estimated that there are only a few thousand people bearing the name throughout the world. That number includes those in Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
Order DNA origin analysisMacQuade: Where does the name MacQuade come from?
The last name MacQuade is predominately found in the United Kingdom and Ireland today. It is a Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic given name Mac Uaid, which means ‘son of Uaidh’ or ‘son of aid’.
The name is most commonly found in Northern Ireland, where it is one of the most frequent non-Irish surnames in the region. It is particularly popular in counties Down and Antrim. The Scottish Highlands and islands also have a significant population of people with the MacQuade surname.
It is believed that the first MacQuade family to arrive in Scotland before the 17th century. The family was associated with Clan Mackay, in particular, and were a member of the Clan Chattan confederation.
MacQuade is not a particularly common name outside of Britain and Ireland. It can occasionally be found in other parts of Europe, Eastern Canada, the United States, and South Africa as the result of emigration from the UK and Ireland.
Overall, the surname MacQuade is most prevalent in the areas where it originated, such as Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, and Ireland. These places remain MacQuade’s main area of concentration today.
Variations of the surname MacQuade
The surname MacQuade is a variation of the Gaelic surname Mac Uaid or MacUda which originates from the first name Oda. It is a sept of the Dál Riata, the ancient Gaelic kingdom which covered parts of modern day Argyll and Hibernia. Variants of MacQuade are MacQuaid, MacQuoid, MacQuaired, MacQwaid, MacQwiece, MacQwiston, MacQuarrie, MacQuarles, MacQuarley, MacQuarll, MacQuresh, MacQurte, MacQuriy, MacQurrighes, MacQuskey and MacQuester.
The variants of the same origin are often found in Ireland, Scotland, England, and dominate parts of the United States.
The variant of the surname found in the U.S. is primarily the MacQwaid / MacCawd or MacQuady, which is thought to have been condensed from the MacQuade version of the name. Other spellings include MacQuady, MacCoady, and M'Coady.
In Scotland, the Harrington variant originates from the Dál Riata, and has a slightly different anglicized spelling of the original Gaelic term Mac Uaid, which evolved into the surname MacQuade.
In Ireland, MacQuade was found in Donegal County in the Northwest, and by the turn of the 19th century, the family was well established in more southern counties of Tyrone and Antrim. The variant names found amongst the families of Ireland include McGee, McGwade, Maguade and Magwade.
Other spellings of MacQuade-origin surname are MacQuail, MacQuetais, MacQwerty, MacQuellette, MacQuesnel, and MacQuigley.
Given these variations, it is possible to make the contention that all these surnames have the same origin, however, the spelling has now become so distinct that it is impossible to be definitively certain of this.
Famous people with the name MacQuade
- Magnus MacQuade: former professional stunt man
- Kelly MacQuade: singer and songwriter
- Vivan MacQuade: actress and former beauty pageant contestant
- Jane MacQuade: TV host and social media influencer
- Evan MacQuade: professional snowboarder
- Maximilian MacQuade: Austrian composer and musician
- Isabella MacQuade: philanthropist and lead investor in many successful startups
- Riley MacQuade: NBA point guard
- Haley MacQuade: reality TV star
- Tobias MacQuade: stunt performer in Hollywood action films