Surname Maclerie - Meaning and Origin
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Maclerie: What does the surname Maclerie mean?
The last name Maclerie is of Scottish origin and can mean either "son of the clerk" or "son of Leary". The surname likely originated in the Middle Ages and may have referred to a person who held the position of a clerk, or who worked with Leary, a name derived from the Old Irish patronymic name O'Leary.
The origin of the O'Leary surname likely originated in County Cork in Ireland where O'Leary was the ruling Gaelic family in the area. The name then migrated to Scotland, where it was Anglicized to Leary. This term, however, was deemed too close to the Gaelic word "laghair" which means "lazy". In order to avoid offense, this name was changed further to Maclerie.
Maclerie is now considered an extremely rare surname and is most commonly found in the Scottish Highlands, where a few families still bear the name. The name is also still widely found in Ireland, but is much less common than it once was. Those who still bear the name Maclerie today can trace their ancestry back to the highlands of Scotland and the wild lands of Ireland.
Order DNA origin analysisMaclerie: Where does the name Maclerie come from?
The last name Maclerie is a variant of the much more common surname MacLerie and is of a Scottish-Irish origin. It is most commonly found in Scotland but can also be found in other parts of the United Kingdom and Europe.
In Scotland, the surname is first recorded in the late 1600s and has remained popular ever since. It is mostly found in rural areas, particularly in the eastern regions of Scotland. It has also spread to areas of Ireland, such as County Mayo and County Sligo, due to emigration as well as intermarriage with local families in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Linked with Scotland, Maclerie can be found in other countries with strong Scottish heritage, such as Australia, Canada and the United States. The majority of these families settled in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Maclerie is also found in France, where it has been associated with the Clan MacLerie of Scotland since the 1600s. The family name is believed to have originated from the French Maclerie family, which moved to Scotland in the 1600s and integrated into the local culture and population.
In England, the surname is most common in the urban areas of Liverpool and London, where people with Scottish ancestry settled in the 19th century. It has also been found in smaller numbers in areas of Lancashire and Northumberland.
Variations of the surname Maclerie
Maclerie is an uncommon surname of mostly Scottish and French origins. The most common spelling variants of Maclerie are Macleries, MacLerie, MacLerrie, MacLerry, and MacLerrey. In Scotland, variations of the surname can be found as McLelry, McLelrey, McLelrie, McLelerrie, McLerr, McLerry, McLerrie, and McLerie. Although these surnames are often used interchangeably, they all refer back to the original surname of Maclerie.
As for French spellings, variants of Maclerie can be found as MacLerye, MacLery, MacLeriey, MacLeurie, and MacLeurrey. These French spellings note the origins of the surname, derived from the French word "clerc," which means "cleric" or "scholar." It is likely that the earliest members of this clans belonged to an ecclesiastic order, and thus, the name Maclerie was given. The French spellings may also have been a result of the Norman influence on Scotland, as Norman names were often altered from their original form in order to sound more Scottish.
No matter how the surname is spelled, Maclerie is a unique and modern looking name that can be found in both Scottish and French origins. It appears to be slowly growing in popularity, as more and more people are choosing to embrace their heritage by re-claiming the use of this traditional surname.
Famous people with the name Maclerie
- David MacLerie: prominent Canadian public servant, computer scientist and professor
- Charles MacLerie: 19th century US congressman
- Angus MacLerie: Scottish scientist who studied the tree-ring sequence of the Scots pine
- Francis MacMahon: former chairperson and CEO of MacLeod MacLerie Inc
- Christopher MacLerie: actor and filmmaker
- Paul MacLerie: field hockey player from Australia
- Spencer MacLerie: former professional ice hockey player
- Duncan MacLerie: Scottish sailor
- Colin Roebuck MacLerie: British entomologist
- Peter MacLerie: Canadian lawyer