McWhirter and Macwhirter, MacWhirter (also spelled McWherter and Macwherter, MacWherter) are

Anglicisation Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

s of the Scottish Gaelic ''Mac an Chruiteir'', meaning "son of the harpist or

fiddler A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Although in many ...

". Mawhorter and McWhorter are less common forms of this Scottish name, and are found in North America. The name is derived from the Gaelic ''cruitear'', meaning "harpist", "fiddler". The Scottish name is generally found in

Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...

. The surnames can be represented in modern

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

as Mac a' Chruiteir.

People with the surnames

;Macwhirter, MacWhirter *

Iain Macwhirter Iain Macwhirter (born September 1952) is a Scottish political journalist. He is a political commentator for several newspapers, an author and documentary film and radio presenter and a former Rector of Edinburgh University. He has worked at both ...

Scottish political commentator *

John MacWhirter John MacWhirter (27 March 1839 in Slateford, Edinburgh - 28 January 1911 in London) was a Scottish landscape painter. Biography John was the third of four children. One of his elder sisters, Agnes MacWhirter was also a noted artist of sti ...

(1839–1911), Scottish landscape painter ;McWhirter * Alastair McWhirter (born 1953), British police officer and chief constable * Anthony McWhirter (1872–1932), Scottish footballer *

Douglas McWhirter Douglas S. McWhirter (13 August 1886 – 14 October 1966) was an English amateur footballer who competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics. McWhirter, born in Erith, Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counti ...

(1886–1966), English Olympic football player * George McWhirter (born 1939), Irish-Canadian writer * David McWhirter (1948–2005), Texas A&M English Professor * John McWhirter (contemporary), British mathematician and engineer * Julie McWhirter (born 1947), American voice actress *Kent Franklin McWhirter ( Kent McCord) American Actor * Louise McWhirter (1896–1957), writer on financial astrology *

Norrie McWhirter Norrie McWhirter (born 4 September 1969, in Johnstone) is a Scottish former footballer, who played for St Mirren for the entirety of his career which began in 1985 and ended due to injury in 2000, following 301 appearances for the club. McWhirt ...

(born 1969), Scottish footballer (St. Mirren FC) * Norris McWhirter (1925–2004), British writer and political activist; cofounder of the ''Guinness World Records''; brother of Ross McWhirter *

Ross McWhirter Alan Ross McWhirter (12 August 1925 – 27 November 1975) was, with his twin brother, Norris, the cofounder of the 1955 ''Guinness Book of Records'' (known since 2000 as ''Guinness World Records'') and a contributor to the television programm ...

(1925–1975), British cofounder of ''Guinness World Records''; brother of Norris McWhirter; assassinated * Steven McWhirter (born 1983), Northern Irish pipe band drummer ;McWherter, Macwherter, MacWherter *

Ned McWherter Ned Ray McWherter (October 15, 1930April 4, 2011) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th Governor of Tennessee, from 1987 to 1995. Prior to that, he served as Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 19 ...

(1930–2011), 46th governor of Tennessee ;McWhorter, MacWhorter * William A. McWhorter (1918–1944), US Army WWII (casualty) Medal of Honor recipient from Liberty, Pickens, South Carolina * Alexander MacWhorter (1734–1807), American Clergyman

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcwhirter Anglicised Scottish Gaelic-language surnames Scottish surnames Patronymic surnames