McPherson Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McPherson last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the McPherson last name
Meaning of the McPherson last name: son of the parson. McPherson is a Scottish surname from Gaelic Mac a' Phearsain, "son of the parson". It dates from a time when a Scottish clergyman might still marry. The name belongs above all to Badenoch in the Highlands, home of the Macphersons. A curious detail of this surname origin: Highland emigrants took the last name to Nova Scotia and the Carolinas.
Arms associated with the McPherson name
In Scotland a coat of arms is strictly personal and still overseen by the Court of the Lord Lyon, so each blazon associated with the McPherson name belongs to one bearer at a time.
Get your full McPherson family history
This is only a glimpse of the McPherson story. The full McPherson 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 McPherson coat of arms. Get the full McPherson report.
McPherson name FAQ
What does the McPherson name mean?
Son of the parson. Common variants include Macpherson, MacPherson, McFerson.
Where does the McPherson surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in Canada, the United States and Australia.
Is there a McPherson coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McPherson 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).