| MacAlasdair | |
| Gender: | Masculine |
| Feminine: | NicAlasdair |
| Language: | Scottish Gaelic |
| Language origin: | Scottish Gaelic |
| Derivation: | mac + Alasdair |
| Meaning: | "son" + "of Alasdair" |
| See also: | Mac Alastair, Mac Alastruim, Mac Alsandair |
| Cognate: | Mac Alasdair |
| Family: | Clan MacAlister |
MacAlasdair is a masculine surname in Scottish Gaelic. The name translates into English as "son of Alasdair". The feminine form of the name is NicAlasdair, which translates into English as "daughter of Alasdair". These surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. There are numerous Anglicised forms of MacAlasdair.
The Irish form of MacAlasdair is Mac Alasdair. Other similar Irish surnames are Mac Alastair, Mac Alastruim and Mac Alsandair. The feminine forms of these surnames for unmarried females are Nic Alasdair, Nic Alastair, Nic Alastruim, and Nic Alsandair. The feminine forms for married females are Bean Mhic Alasdair, Bean Mhic Alastair, Bean Mhic Alastruim, and Bean Mhic Alsandair; these names can also be contracted to Mhic Alasdair, Mhic Alastair, Mhic Alastruim, and Mhic Alsandair.
The Irish and Scottish Gaelic have many Anglicised forms. The Scottish Gaelic name has been borne by a notable Scottish clan, which was once seated on the south-west coast of Scotland. The Irish names have been borne by descendants of Scots who settled in the north of Ireland.
The Scottish Gaelic MacAlasdair originated as a patronym, in the form of mac Alasdair, which translates into English as "son of Alasdair". Today, however, the surname MacAlasdair does not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The name Alasdair is a Scottish Gaelic equivalent of the English Alexander, which is derived from the Latin form of the Greek Alexandros. This Greek name is composed of two elements: the first, alexein, meaning "to defend"; the second, aner, meaning "man" or "warrior" (the genitive of aner is andros). Alexander has been an extremely popular given name in Scotland since the Middle Ages, when it was borne by three Scottish kings. The name was introduced into the country through Margaret (died 1093), the Hungarian-born wife of Malcolm III, King of Scots; in time one of their sons became Alexander I, King of Scots (died 1124).
One of the earliest instances of a form of MacAlasdair are records of "Ranald Makalestyr", who obtained a lease of lands in Arran, in 1455. Ranald is later also referred to in documents as "Ranald Alexandri", and "Reginald McAlestir" (also "McAlestere" and "McAlestre").
MacAlasdair is a masculine surname. The Scottish Gaelic form of this surname for females is NicAlasdair. This feminine name is composed of the prefix Nic- which is an abbreviated form of the Scottish Gaelic nighean which translates into English as "daughter". Like the masculine form of the surname, NicAlasdair no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father.
Anglicised forms of MacAlasdair, in use today, include Alexander, Callister, Macalaster, Macalester, Macalister, Macallaster, MacAllister, Maccalister, McAllister.[8] Anglicised forms of Mac Alasdair include Alister, MacAlester, MacAlister, MacAllister, MacCalister, and MacCallister.[1] Anglicised forms of Mac Alastair include Callister, MacAlister, MacAllister, MacCallister, MacEllister, MacAlester, MacClester, MacLester, and Lester.[2] Anglicised forms of Mac Alastruim include MacElistrum, MacElestrim, MacEllistram.[4] Anglicised forms of Mac Alsandair include Alexander, MacAlshander, MacAlshender, MacAlshinder, MacCalshander, MacElshander, and MacKalshander.[6]
The surname MacAlasdair, and its various Anglicised forms, have been borne by members of Clan MacAlister, a noted Scottish clan that was historically seated on the south-west coast of Scotland. These MacAlasdairs are a branch of Clan Donald (Scottish Gaelic Clann Dhòmhnaill), although there has been confusion over who the identity of the clan's eponymous ancestor. As late as the late 19th century, it was claimed that the clan descended from Alasdair Òg, son and heir of Aonghas Mòr, son and heir of Dòmhnall (died mid 13th century), the eponymous ancestor of Clan Donald.[9] However a more modern understanding is that the clan's eponymous ancestor is Alasdair Mòr (died 1299), younger son of Dòmhnall (eponymous ancestor of Clan Donald).[9]
Bearers of the Irish Mac Alastair, and its various Anglicised forms, include descendants of Clan Donald who settled in what is today County Antrim, Northern Ireland.[2] Bearers of the Irish Mac Alastruim, and its various Anglicised forms, include a family centred in what is today County Kerry, Republic of Ireland; this family, according to Patrick Woulfe who wrote in the early 20th century, has been located in Kerry for centuries.[4] According to Woulfe, Mac Alsandair, and associated Anglicised forms, are also of Scottish origin.[6]