Editing Patronymic (section)

====Irish, Scottish, and Manx====
{{See also|Irish name#Patronyms and other additives|Celtic onomastics#Surname prefixes|Scottish surnames#Patronymics}}
{{anchor|Ireland|Scotland|Celtic|Gaelic}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2008}}
The use of "Mac" in some form was prevalent in [[Scottish Gaelic]], Irish, and [[Manx language|Manx]], in all of which it denotes "son." "Mc" is also a frequent anglicisation in both Scotland and Ireland. In Ireland, the forms "Mag" and "M'" are encountered. The prefix "Mac" is used to form a patronym, such as "Mac Coinnich"—or the anglicized "Mackenzie"—son of Coinneach/Kenneth. The female equivalent of ''Mac'' is ''Nic'', condensed from ''nighean mhic'' (in Scottish Gaelic) or ''iníon mhic'' (in Irish), both meaning daughter. For example, the Scottish Gaelic surname, ''Nic Dhòmhnaill'' meaning "daughter of a son of Dòmhnall" (in English, Donald), as in ''Mairi Nic Dhòmhnaill'', or Mary MacDonald.

At the north end of the [[Irish Sea]], in [[Ulster]], the [[Isle of Man]], and [[Galloway]] (indeed as far north as [[Argyll]]), "Mac" was frequently truncated in speech to /k/. This led to such anglicisations as "Qualtrough" (Son of Walter) and "Quayle" (son of Paul, cf. [[MacPhail]]), usually beginning with "C," "K," or "Q." In Ireland, this truncation resulted in surnames such as "Guinness" (son of Aonghus, cf. MacAonghusa), beginning usually in "C" or "G" for patronymics prefixed with Mac, and in "H" (e.g., "Hurley" [descendant of Iarlath, cf. Ua h-Iarfhlatha/O'Hurley]) for surnames prefixed with "O." Colloquial Scottish Gaelic also has other patronymics of a slightly different form for individuals, still in use (for more information please see: [[Scottish Gaelic personal naming system]]).