McQueen (surname)

McQueen, Mcqueen, and MacQueen, Macqueen are English-language surnames derived from Scottish Gaelic. There have been several differing etymologies given for the surnames; as well as several differing ways to represent the surname in modern Scottish Gaelic. The surnames are not among the most common surnames in the United Kingdom, Australia, nor the United States.

Etymology

There have been several differing etymologies given for the surname. One view is that it is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic MacShuibhne, which means "son of Suibhne". The Gaelic name Suibhne is a byname, which means "pleasant". This Gaelic name was also used as a Gaelic equivalent of the Old Norse byname Sveinn, which means "boy".^[1] Another view is that the Anglicised surname is derived from the Gaelic MacCuinn, meaning "son of Conn".^[2] The Gaelic personal name Conn is composed of an Old Celtic element meaning "chief".^[1] Another suggested origin of the Anglicised surname is from the Gaelic MacCuithein.^{[citation needed]}

A similarly spelt surname, Macquien, is considered to be often confused with, and wrongly represented by Macqueen. This name is considered to be derived from the Gaelic personal name Aoidhean which means "little Aodh".^[2][3] The Gaelic personal name Aodh is a modern form of Áed, which means "fire".^[4] Macquien can be presented in Scottish Gaelic as MacAoidhein; and in the north of Scotland as MacCuithein.^{[citation needed]}

Historical forms of the name

The surname have undergone changes over the years. Mackquean (1502); M'Queyn (1543); M'Queen (1609).^[5]

Representation in modern Scottish Gaelic

The Anglicised surnames can be represented in Scottish Gaelic several different ways. MacCuinn^[6] is the form for the surname of Galloway. MacCuithein is the form for the surname in the north of Scotland; and MacShuibhne is the form in the south of Scotland.^{[citation needed]}

Similar surnames

Similar surnames are McKeen (from Ian); McQuinn (from Conn); McSwain, McSween (from Suibhne, or possibly Sveinn); McSweeney, McQueeney (from Suibhne);^[1] Macquien (from Aoidhean);^[2][3] Queen (a reduced form of the surname McQueen, also from Quena).^[1]

Statistics

Neither surname ranked within the top 300 recorded in Scotland, within the United Kingdom Census 1901.^[7]

McQueen, Mcqueen

In the United Kingdom, the surname was ranked in the United Kingdom Census 1881 as the 17,664th most common surname; with 125 recorded, equalling less than 0.001% of the population. Currently the surname is ranked as the 1,950th most common; with 3,204 recorded, equalling 0.007% of the population.^[8] This census shows that the county where the surname occurred the most was Lancashire (in England); with 22 of the name recorded, equalling 0.0006% of the population there. The town where the surname occurred the most, and was most frequent, was Newcastle On Tyne All Sts (in Northumberland, England); with 11 of the name recorded, equalling 0.0424% of the population there.^[9]

In Australia, the surname is ranked^[when?] 1,531st most common name; with 1,078 recorded equalling 0.007% of the total population.^[8]

The surname was ranked as the 1,322nd most common surname in the 1990 United States Census; accounting for 0.009% of the population.^[10] It was ranked 1,757th most common surname in the 2000 United States Census; with 18,701 recorded. Of these this number, 60.16% were recorded as being (non-Hispanic) white; 36.12% (non-Hispanic) black; 0.29% (non-Hispanic) Asian and Pacific Islander; 0.44% (non-Hispanic) American Indian and Native Alaskan; 1.59% (non Hispanic) of two or more races; 1.4% Hispanic origin.^[11]

Currently world wide, the surname is most frequently found in Australia, with a frequency of 117.79 per million people (fpm); New Zealand with 113.22 fpm; the United Kingdom with 75.78 fpm; the United States with 57.84 fpm; Canada with 55.47 fpm. The top region where it is located is Rangitikei District (in New Zealand); with 550.36 fpm. The top city is Glasgow (in Scotland). The top forenames with the surname are James, John, David, Robert, and William.^[12]

MacQueen, Macqueen

In the United Kingdom, the surname was ranked in the United Kingdom Census 1881 as the 8,913th most common surname; with 347 recorded, equalling 0.001% of the population. Currently the surname is ranked as the 6,817th most common; with 714 recorded, equalling 0.002% of the population.^[13] This census shows that the county where the surname occurred the most, and was most frequent, was Inverness-shire (in Scotland); with 86 of the name recorded, equalling 0.0986% of the population there. The town where the surname occurred the most, and was most frequent, was Kilmuir (in Inverness-shire, Scotland); with 26 of the name recorded, equalling 1.0136% of the population there.^[14]

In Australia, the surname is ranked^[when?] 4,770th most common name; with 331 recorded equalling 0.002% of the total population.^[13]

The surname was ranked as the 27,425th most common surname in the 1990 United States Census; accounting for less than 0.001% of the population.^[10] It was ranked 24,115th most common surname in the 2000 United States Census; with 976 recorded. Of this number, 96.21% were recorded as being (non-Hispanic) white; 1.02% (non-Hispanic) black; 0.92% (non Hispanic) of two or more races; 1.43% Hispanic origin.^[11]

Currently world wide, the surname is most frequently found in Australia, with a frequency of 33.91 per million people (fpm); Canada with 18.11 fpm; the United Kingdom with 16.89 fpm; New Zealand with 8.46 fpm; the United States with 4.54 fpm. The top region where it is located is the Marlborough district (in New Zealand); with 550.36 fpm. The top city is Glasgow (in Scotland). The top forenames with the surname are John, Donald, David, Andrew, and James.^[12]

Distribution maps

The following maps show the distribution of families with the surname McQueen and MacQueen.

• 

  McQueen, per 1920 United States Census

• 

  MacQueen, per 1920 United States Census

• 

  McQueen, per Canada 1911 Census

• 

  MacQueen, per Canada 1911 Census

List of persons with the surname

McQueen, Mcqueen

• Alexander McQueen (1969–2010), British fashion designer
• Armelia McQueen (born 1952), American actress
• Butterfly McQueen (1911–1995), American actress
• Chad McQueen (born 1960), American actor
• Cilla McQueen (born 1949), English poet
• Delroy McQueen, British weightlifter
• Ewen McQueen, religious leader
• Geoff McQueen (1947–1994), television screenwriter
• Glenn McQueen (1960–2002), computer character animator
• Gordon McQueen (born 1952), Scottish football player
• Harold McQueen, Jr. (1952–1997), American who was the first criminal executed by the State of Kentucky
• Hayley McQueen (born 1979), TV presenter and reporter
• Jim McQueen, American freelance sports illustrator
• Joe McQueen (born 1919), American musician
• John McQueen (1804–1867), American member of the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War
• Lee McQueen, participant on the UK television show The Apprentice
• Matt McQueen (1863–1944), Scottish football player
• Molly McQueen (born 1987), English singer
• Peter McQueen (c.1780–1820), American Indian leader
• Ronald McQueen, musician
• Steve McQueen (disambiguation), several people
  • Steve McQueen (1930–1980), American actor
  • Steve McQueen (artist) (born 1969), English artist
• Steven R. McQueen (born 1988), American actor
• Tanya McQueen (born 1972), American television personality

MacQueen, Macqueen

• MacQueen of Pall à Chrocain, Highland deer stalker
• Alex MacQueen (born 1974), English actor
• Eilidh Macqueen (born 1986), British actress
• Hector MacQueen, a Scottish academic
• John Macqueen Ward, a Scottish businessman
• Robert Macqueen, Lord Braxfield (1722–1799), Scottish lawyer and judge
• Rod MacQueen, a rugby coach
• Thomas MacQueen (1792–1840), British army officer; Macqueen's Bustard is named after him
• W. J. MacQueen-Pope (1888–1960), English theatre historian and publicist

See also

• Clan Macqueen, a Scottish clan
• McQueen (disambiguation)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "What's in a name?". www.ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx?. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Calder, George (1923). A Gaelic Grammar. Glasgow: A. MacLaren & Sons. pp. 148–148, 151. http://www.archive.org/details/gaelicgrammarcon00cald. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Macbain, Alexander (1905–1906). "The Study of Highland Personal Names". The Celtic Review (Norman Macleod) 2: 60–75. http://www.archive.org/details/celticreview02edinuoft. 
4. ^ "Aodh". www.encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Aodh.html. Retrieved 30 November 2009. 
5. ^ Macbain, Alexander (1909). Outlines of Gaelic Etymology. Stirling: Eneas Mackay. p. 23. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026841001. 
6. ^ Mark, Colin (2003). The Gaelic-English Dictionary. Routledge. p. 720. ISBN 0415297605, ISBN 9780415297608. 
7. ^ "Table A5: Rank of the Top 300 Surnames in Alphabetical Order, 1901 Census" (pdf). www.gro-scotland.gov.uk. http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/stats/01surnames_tablea5.pdf. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "Mcqueen". www.britishsurnames.co.uk. http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/MCQUEEN/. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 
9. ^ "Mcqueen 1881 census". www.britishsurnames.co.uk. http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/MCQUEEN/1881census. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "Frequently Occurring First Names and Surnames From the 1990 Census". www.census.gov. http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/freqnames.html. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Frequently Occurring Surnames From Census 2000". www.census.gov. http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/freqnames2k.html. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 
12. ^ ^{a b} "World Surnames Profiler". www.publicprofiler.org. http://www.publicprofiler.org/worldnames/Default.aspx. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 
13. ^ ^{a b} "Macqueen". www.britishsurnames.co.uk. http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/MACQUEEN/. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 
14. ^ "Macqueen 1881 census". www.britishsurnames.co.uk. http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/MACQUEEN/1881census. Retrieved 2 December 2009. 

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