Surname M'Gwier - Meaning and Origin
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M'Gwier: What does the surname M'Gwier mean?
The last name M'Gwier is of Scottish origin and is a variant spelling of the name Maguire. This surname originated as a patronymic surname, which is a name created from the father's name, and in this case, M'Gwier is derived from the Gaelic personal name M'Guire.
The name M'Guire was created from the Gaelic phrase "Mac Uidhir," loosely translated to mean "son of the big and dark one," and this family of Scottish surnames was so common in medieval times that it was considered one of the most powerful septs (clans) in Ireland.
The ancient Scots of Ireland used various means to distinguish their families from one another, due to the commonality of their surnames. Variations on the name M'Gwier can be found, such as Magwyer, Maguire, M'Guire, and M'Guirey.
Today, M'Gwier families can be found mainly in Scotland and Ireland, but there is a growing amount of M'Gwier ancestors from the United States, Canada, England, and Australia. Throughout history, the M'Gwier clan has stayed close both geographically and culturally, and the roots of the clan have been the basis of inspiration for several novels, poems, plays, and films.
Order DNA origin analysisM'Gwier: Where does the name M'Gwier come from?
The last name M'Gwier is a rare name, but it is most commonly found in North America. It is believed to have originated from Scotland, where the name was used to describe a person who held the office of qwier, or law keeper. It can also be commonly found among people of Caribbean descent, where it is derived from the French term "meguiere", which refers to any person who is entrusted with the enforcement of laws. Generally, those with this last name are of Caribbean, Scots-Irish, and English ancestry.
M’Gwier is an uncommon surname in the United States, but there have been reports of families with the last name in the states of Massachusetts, Texas, Maryland, and Virginia, among others. It can also be found in Canada, particularly in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.
Additionally, it can be found in a number of other countries, such as England, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Italy, and New Zealand. In these countries, the last name may be spelled differently, such as McQuire, McGuire, MacGuire, and Maguire.
Regardless of where it is found, the people with the last name M’Gwier have a shared heritage and history, and they are usually proud of their unique family name.
Variations of the surname M'Gwier
The surname M’Gwier is of Irish origin and may have several variations in spelling and surnames of the same origin. In some cases, the surname has been transcribed and anglicized to the form Maguire which is the most common spelling of the name and has been used to describe a large family descended from a common ancestor.
The surname may also take the form Mögwyer, Mac Guire, Mc Guire, McGwier and McGwire. At times, the “Mac” or “Mc” has been dropped, leaving just the given name, but there are still variants such as Gwiear, Gwyiar, and Gwyre. It was also commonly anglicized as Moore, Moor, Mower, Mawer, Gawer, Gawyer, Gawyar, or Gawyre as well as Miere and Muire.
The surname Mutum (M’Tum) has been found to be related to M’Gwier and have the same line of ancestry and may be used interchangeably at times. From a Gaelic perspective, the name is equivalent to both MacGuire and M’Gwier and is thought to be a corruption of the name Mac an Bheathaigh (“son of the life”).
In Scotland, this same surname is anglicized as Magee, M’Gee, Mages, MacGee, or M'Gee. The McGeew, McGee or McGue family may be a branch of MacGuire or M’Gwier.
There are also variants stemming from a slightly different origin, such as Gwer (Gwier) and Guier, however, these two are not to be confused with M’Gwier as they come from a different part of Europe (British Isles) or England rather than Ireland.
Overall, the surname M’Gwier is most commonly known as Maguire in modern times, but has many alternative spellings and forms as seen above.
Famous people with the name M'Gwier
- Augustus M'Gwier: Former slave, Union soldier, and community leader
- Isaiah M'Gwier: African-American politician from Ohio
- Anthony M'Gwier: Former running back and current assistant coach for the Buffalo Bills
- Gregory M'Gwier: Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and producer
- Lovelace M'Gwier: NFL defensive lineman from the 1980s
- Bola M'Gwier: Grammy-winning singer and songwriter
- Mildred M'Gwier: Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego
- Theresa M'Gwier: International business executive for global technology services
- Auguste M'Gwier: Olympic judoka from the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Stephen M'Gwier: Entrepreneur and tech executive with a background in computer science