McIntosh Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McIntosh last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the McIntosh last name
Meaning of the McIntosh last name: son of the leader. McIntosh comes from the Gaelic Mac an Toisich, son of the leader. It belongs to the central Highlands, where the clan led the great Chattan confederation of clans. A curious detail: the waterproof raincoat called a mackintosh is named after Charles Macintosh, a Scottish chemist, so the surname became an everyday word around the world.
Arms associated with the McIntosh name
Scottish clansmen traditionally wear a badge drawn from their leader's arms, and the McIntosh name belongs to that clan tradition.
Get your full McIntosh family history
This is only a glimpse of the McIntosh story. The full McIntosh history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted McIntosh coat of arms. Get the full McIntosh report.
McIntosh name FAQ
What does the McIntosh name mean?
Son of the leader. Common variants include Mackintosh, MacIntosh, Toshack.
Where does the McIntosh surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a McIntosh coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McIntosh coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.