McSwain

M3C3S1W4A1I1N1

proper noun

A surname from Scottish Gaelic [in turn from Old Norse].

OriginScottish Gaelic Mac Suibhne ← Old Norse sveinn →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

proper nounMcSwain (plural McSwains)

plural McSwains · alternative McSwan · alternative McSween

  1. A surname from Scottish Gaelic [in turn from Old Norse].
  2. A census-designated place in Merced County, California, United States.

Origin

  1. Old Norsesveinn“boy, servant”
  2. Scottish GaelicMac Suibhne
  3. EnglishMcSwain

Probably an Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Suibhne, like McSweeney or a Gaelic patronymic based on Old Norse sveinn (“boy, servant”).

More words from Scottish Gaelic, Old Norse

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

McSwain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McSwain

MLA

“McSwain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McSwain. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “McSwain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/McSwain.

Source: McSwain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.