McCartney Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McCartney last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the McCartney coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the McCartney last name
Meaning of the McCartney last name: son of Artan. McCartney is a Scottish surname from Gaelic Mac Artáin, "son of Artan", found in Galloway and Ulster. It is common in Northern Ireland. Paul McCartney of the Beatles and his daughter, the designer Stella McCartney, carry this last name. It spread widely to England, America and Australia.
Arms associated with the McCartney name
Coats of arms associated with the McCartney surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full McCartney family history
This is only a glimpse of the McCartney story. The full McCartney history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted McCartney coat of arms. Get the full McCartney report.
McCartney name FAQ
What does the McCartney name mean?
Son of Artan. Common variants include MacCartney.
Where does the McCartney surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a McCartney coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McCartney coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).