McKendrick is a Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic MacEanruig, which means "son of Eanraig." The root element takes its origins from the Germanic name Henry, composed of heim ("home") and rih ("ruler"), thus denoting "home ruler." Following the Norman Conquest, the name Henry gained widespread use in England, with the Gaelic form Eanraig entering Scottish nomenclature. Anglicized surnames like McKendrick reflect this process during the late medieval period, when the Mac prefix (Gaelic for "son") combined with Eanraig, and the spelling was later adjusted to its current form.
Notable Bearers
- Notable Bearer: Anderson Gray McKendrick (1878–1943), a Scottish physician remembered for the McKendrick differential equation in epidemiology.
- Notable Bearer: Archibald McKendrick (1876–1960), a Scottish dentist and radiology pioneer.
- Notable Bearer: John Gray McKendrick (1841–1926), a prominent Scottish physiologist influential in the field.
- Notable Bearer: John McKendrick (born 1969), a Scottish football referee.
- The surname has also been borne by figures in other fields, including poet Jamie McKendrick, historian Neil McKendrick, and educationist Wilford M. McKendrick. Additionally, “McKendrick” appears in placenames such as McKendrick, New Brunswick, an unincorporated community in Canada.
Variant Forms and Distribution
Spelling variants include the original Gaelic MacEanruig and its contracted form Kendrick 3 (Scottish). Cognates in other languages mirror the same root: Norwegian Henriksen, Dutch Hendrix (the music artist surname), and forms like Hendriks, Heijman, and Hendrikx. The surname McKendrick itself remains concentrated within Scottish and Scottish diaspora communities, particularly (but not exclusively) Scotland, Canada, and parts of the United States.
- Meaning: "son of Eanraig (Henry)"
- Origin: Gaelic, Anglicized from MacEanruig
- Type: Hereditary patronymic surname
- Primary Usage Regions: Scotland, English-speaking world via diaspora
Roots
Variants
Other Languages & Cultures
Sources: Wikipedia — McKendrick