Macphail

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Scottish family name of Gaelic origin, borne by several notable people such as the Canadian politician Agnes Macphail
2. A surname of Scottish origin carried by various people, including Agnes Macphail, the first woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons
3. A family name common in Scotland and Canada, most famously associated with the Canadian reformer and politician Agnes Macphail

Etymology: MacPhail is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Phail," built from the Gaelic "mac" ("son") and the personal name Phail. The name is most common in the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides, and its Irish counterpart, MacFhaoil, shows the same pattern. The Gaelic forms were recorded in Scottish and Irish sources, and the surname spread as families took it up and wrote it down in English. The exact meaning of the given name Phail is uncertain. Some have linked it to the Gaelic name for Paul, but that connection is not secure, so the surname's most reliable meaning is simply "son of Phail."