Carmichael Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Carmichael last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Carmichael last name
Meaning of the Carmichael last name: fort of Saint Michael. Carmichael is a Scottish surname from the barony of Carmichael in Lanarkshire, a place named from Brittonic caer, "fort", and Saint Michael. The last name was held by the Carmichaels of that Ilk from the fourteenth century. The singer Hoagy Carmichael made it well known in America.
Arms associated with the Carmichael name
Coats of arms associated with the Carmichael surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full Carmichael family history
This is only a glimpse of the Carmichael story. The full Carmichael 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 Carmichael coat of arms. Get the full Carmichael report.
Carmichael name FAQ
What does the Carmichael name mean?
fort of Saint Michael. Common variants include MacMichael, Carmicheal.
Where does the Carmichael surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Carmichael coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Carmichael coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).