McCandless (surname)
| Pronunciation | /mɪkˈkænd.ləs/ |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Anglicised Irish and Scottish Gaelic, from Mac Cuindlis |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | 'Son of Cuindleas' |
| Region of origin | |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | McCandlis, McCanlis, McAndless,[1] McAnliss, McCandlass, McCandliss,[2] McCanliss, McAndles,[3] and many others |
McCandless (/mɪkˈkænd.ləs/, mik-CAND-ləs) is a Gaelic surname, both Irish (northern)[4] and occasionally Scottish (south-western).[5] It is derived from the Middle Irish Mac Cuindlis (among other spellings) meaning 'son of Cuindleas', an Old Irish given name of uncertain meaning.[1][3][6]
Distribution and variants[edit]
In historical census and other data, the name is mostly confined to the province of Ulster, especially County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, and counties Antrim, Down, and Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland.[4] Some variants include McCandlis, McCanlis, McAndless,[1] McAnliss, McCandlass, McCandliss,[2] McCanliss, and McAndles,[3] among others. Spellings with Mac were believed to be extinct by the first half of the 20th century,[7] but still survive among a few families, primarily in Canada.[8] As with other names of this sort, versions with M' were also attested until the early 20th century.[2]
The name is closely related to McCandlish, from the same derivation but primarily found in Scotland.[7] Some other recorded Scottish variants are more similar to McCandless, e.g. McCanleis and McCaunles,[7] and some in the north of Ireland closer to McCandlish, e.g. McCandleish.[2] McCandless itself is also thinly attested in Scotland.[5]
The name is etymologically but probably not familially related to the Ó Cuindlis ('descendant of Cuindleas'), a literary family of Uí Mháine in west-central Ireland.[3][9][10] The earliest form of the given name can be traced back to an abbot from the 8th century called Cuindles.[1][9][11]
Notable McCandlesses[edit]
- Al McCandless (1927–2017), US Congressman
- Billy McCandless (1894–1955), Irish football player and manager
- Bruce McCandless (1911–1968), US Navy rear admiral, and Medal of Honor recipient
- Bruce McCandless II (1937–2017), astronaut who made the first untethered spacewalk
- Byron McCandless (1881–1967), commodore in the US Navy; vexillologist
- Chris McCandless (1968–1992), American hiker and itinerant traveler; the subject of Into the Wild (1996)
- Cromie McCandless (1921–1992), Northern Irish motorcycle road racer; brother of Rex
- Ezra McCandless (born Monica Kay, 1998), an American who was convicted of the murder of Alex Woodworth
- Jack McCandless (1892–1940), Irish football player and manager
- Lincoln Loy McCandless (1859–1940), American politician, cattle rancher, industrialist from Hawaii
- Paul McCandless (born 1947), American jazz woodwind player and composer
- Ray B. McCandless (1889–1931), American college sports coach
- Rex McCandless (1915–1992), Northern Irish motorcycle road racer, designer of the Norton Featherbed motorcycle frame; brother of Cromie
- Scott Cook "Jack" McCandless (1891–1961), Major League Baseball player
- Stanley McCandless (1897–1967), considered to be the first theatrical lighting educator
- William McCandless (1834–1884), Union Army officer in the American Civil War, and later member of the Pennsylvania State Senate
- Wilson McCandless (1810–1882), US federal judge from Pennsylvania
See also[edit]
- McCandless (disambiguation) – including place names, vessels, fictional characters, etc.
- McCandlish
- McCandless Gang
- Ó Cuindlis
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Woulfe, Patrick (1922). "MacCuindilis, MacCuindlis". Irish Names and Surnames / Sloinnte Gaelheal Is Gall. Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son. p. 68 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b c d Matheson, Robert E. (1901). "1242: M'Candless". Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland. Dublin: HM Stationery Office. p. 50 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b c d MacLysaght, Edward (1997) [1957]. "Mac Candless". The Surnames of Ireland (6th ed.). Dublin: Irish Academic Press. pp. 35–36 – via Internet Archive. Link is to 1985 edition, but pagination is the same. A newer edition of this book exists (1989, ISBN 9780716523666).
- ^ a b "1901/1911 Census, Ireland / Search: McCandless". Search Census. National Archives of Ireland. 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
The data can be visualised with maps provided here:
Griffin, Barry (2023). "MacCandless Surname Maps of Ireland". Irish Surname Maps for the 1901 and 1911 Census of Ireland. Retrieved 11 March 2023. - ^ a b Griffin, Barry (2023). "Surname Maps for the MacCandless Surname in Scotland". Scottish Surname Maps for the 1901 Census of Scotland.
- ^ "Surname Database: McCandless Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ a b c Black, George F. (1962) [1946]. The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History (2nd ed.). New York Public Library. p. 131, "Candlish"; p. 464, "MacCandlish". ISBN 978-0-87104-172-2 – via Internet Archive. A newer edition of this book exists (2015, ISBN 9781626540590).
- ^ "MacCandless Surname Definition". Forebears. 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ a b Woulfe, Patrick (1922). "Ó Cuindlis". Irish Names and Surnames / Sloinnte Gaelheal Is Gall. Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son. p. 93 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Koch, John T. (2006). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. vol. 3, pp. 1119, 1121; vol. 5, p. 2102. ISBN 9781851094400.
- ^ Ryan, John (1938). "The Abbatial Succession at Clonmacnoise". In Ryan, John (ed.). Feil-Sgribhinn Eóin Mhic Neill / Essays and Studies Presented to Professor Eóin Mac Neill. Dublin: Three Candles Press. p. 499. A revised edition of this book exists (1995, ISBN 9781851821808).
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