# McElwain

> English word · Proper noun · frequency rank #88,594

## Definitions
1. A surname.

## Etymology
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Bheathain (“son of the servant of (Saint) Beathan”), a personal name representing a diminutive of beatha (“life”). Anglicized form of Irish Mac Giolla Bháin (“son of the white-haired lad”), for which compare Kilbane.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mcelwain