Is there a name for the Mc or O' when used at the beginning of a surname?

Question

My daughters asked me what the Mc, Mac, and O' beginnings of names are called. Is there a specific name for that specific part of a surname?

It's a form of patronymic prefix. Patronymics refer to a father's name, like Russian Ivanovich, meaning 'son of Ivan' or Icelandic Janadottir for 'daughter of Jan'. — John Lawler, May 16 '15 at 16:24
@JohnLawler Why not make this an answer? It's better than the other options. — Chris Sunami, Jul 15 '15 at 20:17

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38

1

It's called a prefix, just like for other words. See this question for some more detail and explanations of what some common prefixes mean: Etymology for “Mc‑” and “O’‑” prefix in surnames

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38

Community

answered May 16 '15 at 16:21

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 16 '15 at 16:35

0

It's known either as simply a prefix, or, more technically, a nobiliary particle. (As always, Wikipedia weighs in as well.)

answered May 16 '15 at 16:35

Gnawme

How are Mac and O’ “nobiliary”? Even the Wikipedia article you give a link to disagrees: “In Scotland, there is strictly no nobiliary particle.” – Philippe-André Lorin Apr 13 '18 at 15:15

2 Answers2