Menzies is a Scottish surname, with

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

forms being Méinnearach and Méinn, and other variant forms being Menigees, Mennes, Mengzes, Menzeys, Mengies, and Minges.

Derivation and history

The name and its Gaelic form are probably derived from the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

name Mesnières, from the town of

Mesnières-en-Bray Mesnières-en-Bray (, literally ''Mesnières in Bray'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. The town is the origin of the Scottish name Menzies. Geography A forestry and farming village situa ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

David Hey David G. Hey (18 July 1938 – 14 February 2016) was an English historian, and was an authority on surnames and the local history of Yorkshire. Hey was the president of the British Association for Local History, and was a published author of seve ...

Clan Menzies website
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Pronunciation

The name is traditionally pronounced — and still is in Scotland — . The current spelling arose when the similar-looking tailed variant of the letter (i.e., ) was used as a substitute for the now obsolete letter (

yogh The letter yogh (ȝogh) ( ; Scots Language, Scots: ; Middle English: ) was used in Middle English and Older Scots, representing ''y'' () and various velar consonant , velar phonemes. It was derived from the Insular G, Insular form of the letter ...

) in the

Scots language Scots ( endonym: ''Scots''; gd, Albais, ) is an Anglic language variety in the West Germanic language family, spoken in Scotland and parts of Ulster in the north of Ireland (where the local dialect is known as Ulster Scots). Most commonly ...

(). However, outside Scotland it is often erroneously given the spelling-pronunciation . A Scottish

limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

plays on the traditional, correct pronunciation:

There wis a young lassie named Menzies, That askit her aunt whit this thenzies. Said her aunt wi a gasp, "Ma dear, it's a wasp, An you're haudin the end whaur the stenzies!"

The second and fifth lines are pronounced as though the were a <>, making "thing is" and "sting is", to rhyme with "Menzies". "Wasp" rhymes with "gasp" in Scots.

As a surname

* Alan W. C. Menzies, Scots-born chemist and professor of Chemistry at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

* Alex Menzies, Scottish football player *

Alex Menzies (footballer, born 1882) Alexander William Menzies (25 November 1882 – 1964) was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward for Heart of Midlothian and Manchester United in the 1900s. Born in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Menzies began his football career with l ...

, Scottish international football player *

Archibald Menzies Archibald Menzies ( ; 15 March 1754 – 15 February 1842) was a Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist. He spent many years at sea, serving with the Royal Navy, private merchants, and the Vancouver Expedition. He was the first recorded Euro ...

(1754–1842), British medic and biologist; ship's doctor and naturalist on board George Vancouver's voyage to the North Pacific * Beryl Menzies (married name Beryl Fowler, 1881–1963), English painter * Charles Menzies, anthropologist * Charles Menzies (1783–1866), Royal Marines officer * David Menzies, Canadian journalist *

Douglas Menzies Sir Douglas Ian Menzies KBE (7 September 190729 November 1974) was an Australian judge, serving as a Justice of the High Court of Australia. He was also Chancellor of Monash University from 1968 until his death in 1974. Early life Menzies ...

, former Justice of the

High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises Original jurisdiction, original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Constitution of Australia, Australia's Constitution. The High Court was established fol ...

* Sir

Frederick Menzies Sir Frederick Norton Kay Menzies KBE FRSE FRCP LLD (2 November 1875 – 14 May 1949) was a British physician and public health expert. He was Honorary Physician to King George VI. Life He was born in Caernarvon on 2 November 1875, the son of Edit ...

, British physician *

Gavin Menzies Rowan Gavin Paton Menzies (14 August 1937 – 12 April 2020) was a British submarine lieutenant-commander who authored books claiming that the Chinese sailed to America before Columbus. Historians have rejected Menzies' theories and assertions ...

, retired British submarine captain and author *

George Menzies George Menzies (30 September 1930 – 16 March 2016) was a New Zealand rugby league player and coach who represented New Zealand at three World Cups and coached New Zealand at another World Cup. In 2007 he was named the greatest New Zealand had ...

, New Zealand rugby league footballer *

Gina Menzies Gina Menzies is a frequent guest on Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the Irish national radio and television broadcaster and is described as a theologian. Her academic qualifications include an H. Dip in Education from Trinity College Dublin, a Bache ...

, Irish media personality *

Heather Menzies Heather Menzies Urich (December 3, 1949 – December 24, 2017) was a Canadian–American model and actress, known for her roles as Maria Franziska von Trapp, Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 film ''The Sound of Music (film), The Sound of Music'' ...

(1949–2017), Canadian actress *

Henry Menzies Henry Fisher Menzies (15 June 1867 in London, Ontario, Canada – 31 July 1938 in Edinburgh) was a Scottish rugby player. Henry played four times (starting all four) for . His debut was on 4 February 1893 against Wales Wales ( cy, ...

(1867–1938), Scottish rugby player *

Hugh Menzies Hugh Menzies (4 September 1857 – 13 February 1925) was an Australian politician representing the electoral district of Stawell in the Victorian Legislative Assembly between 1902 and 1904 as a Ministerialist member. He served as Mayor of the ...

(1857–1925), Australian politician * Ivan Menzies (1896–1985), singer and actor * James Menzies, New Zealand politician *

James Menzies (Wisconsin politician) James Menzies (September 3, 1830 – March 22, 1913) was a Scottish American farmer and politician. Born in Newtown of Tullymet, Perthshire, Scotland, Menzies emigrated to the United States in 1841 and settled in the town of Harmony, Rock Co ...

(1830–1913), American politician *

John Menzies John Menzies plc ( , ) is the holding company of Menzies Aviation plc, an aviation services business providing ground handling, cargo handling, cargo forwarding and into-plane (ITP) fuelling, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. History The compa ...

, businessman *

John A. Menzies The Court of King's Bench of Manitoba (french: Cour du Banc du Roi du Manitoba)—or the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba, depending on the monarch—is the superior court of the Canadian province of Manitoba. The court is divided into tw ...

, Manitoba judge *

John K. Menzies John K. Menzies (1948 – March 26, 2022) was dean of the Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. Menzies served as President of the American University of Kurdistan. Located in the Duhok Governor ...

, former US-Bosnian ambassador and academic *

Karen Menzies Karen Menzies (born 1962) is known for being the first Indigenous Australian association footballer in the Australia women's national soccer team. She played seven games for the Matildas in the period 1983–1989. Early life Menzies grew up in t ...

(born 1962), Australian footballer *

Karl Menzies Karl Menzies (born 17 June 1977) is a professional road bicycle racer riding for UCI Continental team . He finished second in the 2006 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar to Floyd Landis. Menzies turned professional in 2005, he spent one seaso ...

, Australian cyclist *

Mark Menzies Mark Andrew Menzies (born 18 May 1971) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fylde in Lancashire since 2010. He was formerly PPS to Charles Hendry MP, Minister of State for Energy and Cl ...

, Scottish Conservative MP *

Neal Menzies Neal Menzies (born 7 December 1959) is an Australian professor of soil science at Griffith University. In his early adult years, he completed a bachelor of agricultural science (hons) in 1985, a master of agricultural studies in 1987, and a PhD ...

, Australian Professor of Soil Science *

Peter Menzies Jr. Peter Gary Menzies Jr., is an Australian cinematographer best known for his work on Blockbuster film, blockbuster action films such as ''Die Hard with a Vengeance'', ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'', ''The Incredible Hulk (film), The Incredible Hulk, ...

, Australian cinematographer * Sir

Robert Menzies The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

(1894-1978), Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister, who pronounced his own name in the Scottish fashion * Sadie Menzies (1914–1996), founder member of the Revolutionary Workers Group *

Steve Menzies Steve Menzies (born 4 December 1973), commonly referred to by his nickname "Beaver", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer best known for his career with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. He also played for the Bradford Bull ...

, Australian rugby league player *

Stewart Menzies Major General Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, (; 30 January 1890 – 29 May 1968) was Chief of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), from 1939 to 1952, during and after the Second World War. Early life, family Stewart Graham Menzies wa ...

, Head of British Secret Intelligence Service 1939–1952 * Ted Menzies, Canadian politician (MP) *

Tobias Menzies Tobias Simpson Menzies (born 7 March 1974) is an English stage, television and film actor. He is known for playing Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix's series ''The Crown'', for which he won the Primetime ...

, British actor *

William Cameron Menzies William Cameron Menzies (July 29, 1896 – March 5, 1957) was an American film production designer (a job title he invented) and art director as well as a film director and producer during a career spanning five decades. He began his career ...

(1896–1957), American film director

As a given name

* Iain Menzies Banks, Scottish writer, penname used for his science fiction works * Walter

Menzies Campbell Walter Menzies Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem, (; born 22 May 1941), often known as Ming Campbell, is a British Liberal Democrat politician, advocate and former athlete. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Fife from ...

, former leader of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom

Footnotes

References