MacLeòid
Introduction '''''MacLeòid''''' or MhicLeòid (in the genitive case) is a masculine surname in Scottish Gaelic. The name translates into English as "son of ''Leòd''", and the feminine form is '''''NicLeòid''''': a contraction of "Nighean-Mhic-Leòid", meaning "daughter of the son of Leòd." These surnames originated as patronymic names; however, they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father or grandfather. There are numerous Anglicised forms of ''MacLeòid''.
Etymology The Scottish Gaelic ''MacLeòid'' originated as a patronym, in the form of ''mac Leòid'', which translates into English as "son of ''Leòd''". Today, however, the surname ''MacLeòid'' does not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The name ''Leòd'' is a Scottish Gaelic derivative of the Old Norse personal name ''Ljótr''. This Old Norse personal name is composed of an element which translates into English as "ugly".
Feminine form ''MacLeòid'' is a masculine surname. The Scottish Gaelic form of this surname for females is ''NicLeòid''. This feminine name is composed of the prefix ''Nic-'' which is an abbreviated form of the Scottish Gaelic ''nighean-mhic'' which translates into English as "daughter of the son." Like the masculine form of the surname, ''NicLeòid'' no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father.
Anglicised forms Anglicised forms of ''MacLeòid'', in use today, include ''MacLeod'', ''McCloud'', ''McLeod'', ''McLoud''. Anglicised forms of ''Mac Leóid'' include ''MacLeod'', ''MacCleod'', and ''MacCloud''. According to late 19th-century Irish genealogist John O'Hart, the English ''MacLeod'' is also an Anglicised form of the Irish ''Mac Giolla Mochadha'', which is etymologically unrelated to ''MacLeòid'' and ''Mac Leóid''.
Families An early record of the surname is of Gillandres ''MacLeod'', in 1227.Gillandres was likely a member of a noted clerical family that descended from Leod, a 12th-century 'abbot' of Brechin. The surname ''MacLeòid'', and its various Anglicised forms, have also been borne by members of Clan MacLeod, a once powerful Scottish clan, seated on the west coast of Scotland. The leading branches of the clan are the MacLeods of MacLeod. who are seated on Skye; and the MacLeods of Lewis, who were historically seated on Lewis. The MacLeods of Clan MacLeod derive their surname from Leod, a shadowy figure who does not appear in contemporary records, but is thought to have lived in the 13th century. The first members of the family to appear in contemporary records are Malcolm MacLeod and Torquil MacLeod, who are recorded in a royal charter in about the year 1343.
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