MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillan, and M'Millan are variants of a Scottish

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

; see also the similar surname McMillen. The origin of the name derives from the origin of the Scottish Clan MacMillan. The progenitor of the clan was said to be Airbertach, Hebridean prince of the old royal house of Moray. Airbertach had a son named Cormac, who was a bishop, and Cormac's own son Gilchrist, or in

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, an ...

, Gille Chriosd, the progenitor of the Clann an Mhaoil, was a religious man like his father. Because of this, Gille Chriosd wore the

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice i ...

, which gave him the nickname Maolan or Gillemaol. As a Columban priest, his head would have been shaved over the front of his head in the style of

Saint John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given t ...

, rather than at the vertex of his head (the dominant style in The Church of Rome). This distinctive tonsure is described in Gaelic as 'Mhaoillan'. The name MacMillan thus literally means, "son of the tonsure". People having this name include:

People

Robbie Coltrane Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. H ...

(real name Anthony McMillan, (1950 - 2022), British actor * Alexander Macmillan (disambiguation), several persons *

Angus McMillan Angus McMillan (14 August 1810 – 18 May 1865) was a Scottish-born explorer, pioneer pastoralist, and perpetrator of several of the Gippsland massacres of Gunai people. Arriving first in New South Wales in 1838, McMillan rose swiftly in Au ...

(1810–1865), Australian explorer *

Archie McMillan Archibald McMillan (1894 – 23 November 1917) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish League for Ayr United as an outside left. Personal life McMillan served as a private in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders d ...

(1894–1917), Scottish footballer * Ben McMillan (1961-2008), American musician; lead singer of

Skin Yard Skin Yard was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, who were active from 1985 to 1992. The group never gained a mainstream audience, but were an influence on several of their grunge contemporaries, including Soundgarden, Screaming ...

and lead singer/rhythm guitarist of

Gruntruck Gruntruck is an American rock band formed in 1989 in Seattle, Washington, by vocalist Ben McMillan and drummer Norman Scott, both previously from early Seattle sound pioneers Skin Yard. While in Skin Yard, Norman also briefly joined Soundgarde ...

. * Bertie McMillan, Scottish footballer *

Brian McMillan Brian Mervin McMillan (born 22 December 1963) played 38 Test matches and 78 One Day Internationals for South Africa from 1991 to 1998. He was rated by many as the best all-rounder in the world in the mid-1990s, and won South African Cricket ...

(born 1963), South African cricketer *

Brockway McMillan Brockway McMillan (March 30, 1915 – December 3, 2016) was an American government official and scientist, who served as the eighth Under Secretary of the Air Force and the second Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. McMillan was ...

(1915–2016), American scientist, former undersecretary of the Air Force and the second director of the National Reconnaissance Office * Bruce McMillan (disambiguation), several persons * Colin R. McMillan (1935–2003), assistant United States secretary of defense *

Craig McMillan Craig Douglas McMillan (born 13 September 1976) is a New Zealand cricket coach and former cricketer who played all forms of the game. He was a right-handed batsman and useful right-arm medium pace bowler and played for Canterbury in New Zealan ...

(born 1976), New Zealand cricketer *

Daniel Hunter McMillan Sir Daniel Hunter McMillan, (January 14, 1846 – April 14, 1933) was a Manitoba politician. He was a cabinet minister in Thomas Greenway's government from 1889 to 1900, and served as the seventh Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1900 to ...

(1846–1933), Manitoba politician * Daniel MacMillan (1813–1857), British publisher, brother of Alexander Macmillan (publisher) *

Dave MacMillan David MacMillan (December 24, 1886 – July 9, 1963) was an American basketball coach. He was a longtime head coach at the University of Minnesota (18 seasons, 1927–42, 1945–48), and briefly coached the NBA's Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1950, suc ...

(1886–1963), American basketball coach *

Dave McMillan (racing driver) Dave McMillan (born 18 May 1944) is a New Zealand former racing driver. Throughout the 1970s, McMillan raced Formula Fords in his native New Zealand during the northern winter and raced Super Vees in America in the northern summer. In 1979 he ...

(born 1944), New Zealand former racing driver *

David MacMillan Sir David William Cross MacMillan (born 16 March 1968) is a Scottish chemist and the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University, where he was also the chair of the Department of Chemistry from 20 ...

, a Scottish born professor of organic chemistry *

David McMillan (footballer) David McMillan (born 14 December 1988) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a forward for UCD over two spells, St Patrick's Athletic, Sligo Rovers, St Johnstone, Hamilton Academical, Falkirk and Dundalk over two spells. H ...

(born 1988), Irish footballer * Donald Baxter MacMillan (1874–1970), American explorer *

Duncan MacMillan (disambiguation) Duncan MacMillan or Duncan Macmillan may refer to: * Duncan Macmillan (playwright), a British playwright and director. * Duncan Macmillan (art historian), Scottish academic and writer * Duncan Macmillan (athlete) (1890–1963), British track and f ...

, several persons *

Edwin McMillan Edwin Mattison McMillan (September 18, 1907 – September 7, 1991) was an American physicist credited with being the first-ever to produce a transuranium element, neptunium. For this, he shared the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Glenn Seab ...

(1907–1991), American chemist and Nobel Prize winner *

Ernest MacMillan Sir Ernest Alexander Campbell MacMillan, (August 18, 1893 – May 6, 1973) was a Canadian orchestral conductor, composer, organist, and Canada's only "Musical Knight". He is widely regarded as being Canada's pre-eminent musician, from the ...

(1893–1973), Canadian musician *

Ethel McMillan Ethel Emma McMillan (née Black, 12 May 1904 – 13 August 1987) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. She was a Member of Parliament for Dunedin electorates for 22 years, but despite her political seniority, was not appointed a c ...

(1904–1987), New Zealand politician *

Evan McMillan Evan McMillan (born 20 November 1986) is an Irish football coach and former player. He is the older brother of Dundalk player David. Career UCD McMillan was part of the Irish Colleges team that travelled to Thailand in the summer of 2007, wh ...

(born 1988), Irish footballer * Francis MacMillen (1885–1973), American violinist *

Frank McMillan Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cur ...

(1899–1966), Australian rugby league footballer * Frew McMillan (born 1942), South African tennis player *

Gervan McMillan David Gervan McMillan (26 February 1904 – 20 February 1951) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, and a medical practitioner. Biography McMillan was born in 1904 in New Plymouth, the eldest child of Annie Gertrude Pearce and ...

(1904–1951), New Zealand politician * Gloria McMillan (1933-2022), American actress *

Gordon McMillan Gordon Warner "Gymie" McMillan (4 January 1927 – 18 May 2021) was a ice hockey player who was a member of the Michigan Wolverines team that won the first NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championship in 1948. He played four years of hockey at Michi ...

(born c. 1927), American ice hockey player *

(born c. 1953), South African cricket and badminton player *

Gordon MacMillan General Sir Gordon Holmes Alexander MacMillan of MacMillan and Knap, (7 January 1897 – 21 January 1986) was a professional soldier who rose to become a general in the British Army. As a young officer during the First World War, he displayed o ...

(1897–1986), British World general and hereditary chief of the Clan MacMillan * Graham McMillan (born 1936), soccer player *

Hammy McMillan Hamilton "Hammy" McMillan (born 13 July 1963) is a Scottish curler and world champion. He won a gold medal as skip for the Scottish team at the 1999 Ford World Curling Championships in Saint John, New Brunswick.Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as " Supermac", ...

(1894–1986), British prime minister * Harry MacMillan, Scottish footballer * Helen E. McMillan (1909–1984), American politician * Herbert H. McMillan (born 1958), American politician *

H. R. MacMillan Harvey Reginald MacMillan, (September 9, 1885 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian forester, forestry industrialist, wartime administrator, and philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the ...

(1885–1976), Canadian forester * Ian McMillan (born 1956), British poet * J. Douglas MacMillan (1933–1991), Scottish pastor * James McMillan (disambiguation), several persons * John McMillan (disambiguation), several persons * Judith McMillan (born 1945), American artist * Keith B. McMullin (born 1941), LDS (Mormon) general authority emeritus and CEO, DMC * Kenneth G. McMillan (born 1942), American politician * Sir

Kenneth MacMillan Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer who was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977, and its principal choreographer from 1977 until his death. E ...

(1929–1992), Scottish-born choreographer * Kirkpatrick Macmillan (1812–1878), Scottish blacksmith who invented the rear-wheel-driven bicycle * Lachie McMillan (1900–1983), Scottish footballer *

Marcia MacMillan Marcia MacMillan is a Canadian news anchor for CTV News Channel broadcasting the weekday evening news. She started working for CTV News in November 2005. MacMillan started her broadcasting career as a reporter for MCTV in Sudbury, Ontario th ...

(born 1970), Canadian news anchor *

Margaret MacMillan Margaret Olwen MacMillan, (born 1943) is a Canadian historian and professor at the University of Oxford. She is former provost of Trinity College, Toronto, and professor of history at the University of Toronto and previously at Ryerson Univer ...

(born 1943), Canadian historian *

Margaret McMillan Margaret McMillan (20 July 1860 – 27 March 1931) was a nursery school pioneer and lobbied for the 1906 Provision of School Meals Act. Working in deprived districts of London, notably Deptford, and Bradford, she agitated for reforms to i ...

(1860–1931), nursery education pioneer *

Michael McMillan Michael McMillan (born 1962) is a British playwright, artist, curator and educator, born in England to parents who were migrants from St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).Nate McMillan Nathaniel McMillan (born August 3, 1964) is an American basketball coach and former player who serves as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 2000 to 2005, the Po ...

(born 1964), former NBA player and coach of the Indiana Pacers * Norman MacMillan (disambiguation), several persons *

Nolan MacMillan Nolan MacMillan (born December 21, 1990) is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played in seven seasons for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a Grey Cup champion after winning with the Redb ...

, (born 1990), current CFL player * Paul F. McMillan, (born 1956), chemist and high pressure scientist *

Priscilla Johnson McMillan Priscilla Johnson McMillan (born Priscilla Mary Post Johnson) (July 19, 1928 – July 7, 2021) was an American journalist, translator, author, and historian. She was a Center Associate at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Har ...

(1928–2021), American writer and journalist *

Quintin McMillan Quintin McMillan (23 June 1904 – 3 July 1948) was a South African cricketer who played in thirteen Test matches between 1929 and 1931/32. Early cricket career Born in Germiston, Transvaal Colony, McMillan was a right-handed middle- or lower- ...

(1904–1948), South African cricketer *

Raekwon McMillan Raekwon McMillan (born November 17, 1995) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins and has also played for the Las Vegas Raiders. He played coll ...

(born 1995), American football player * Robert McMillan (disambiguation), several person * Stephen McMillan (born 1976), Scottish former footballer *

Thomas S. McMillan Thomas Sanders McMillan (November 27, 1888 – September 29, 1939) was a lawyer and a United States Representative from South Carolina. Born in the town of Ulmer in Allendale County, McMillan received his early childhood education at the sc ...

(1888–1939), American lawyer, politician, and college baseball coach * William MacMillan (disambiguation), several persons *

Whitney MacMillan Whitney MacMillan (September 25, 1929 – March 11, 2020) was an American billionaire heir and businessman.Brian SolomonThe Secretive Cargill Billionaires And Their Family Tree ''Forbes'', 9/22/2011Brenda McDonaldBusinessman Whitney MacMillan to ...

(born 1929), American businessman

Fictional characters

Trillian (character) Tricia Marie McMillan, also known as Trillian Astra, is a fictional character from Douglas Adams' series ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. She is most commonly referred to simply as "Trillian", a modification of her birth name, which s ...

, or Tricia McMillan, character in ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' *

Ernie Macmillan Dumbledore's Army (or D.A. for short) is a fictional student organisation in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series that is founded by the main characters, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, to stand up against the regime of Hogwa ...

, character in the Harry Potter book series * Captain MacMillan, SAS sniper in the 2007 video game '' Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'' * Stewart and Sally McMillan, title roles in the television series ''

McMillan & Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976–77) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the ...

'' * Joe MacMillan, character in the AMC TV series '' Halt and Catch Fire'' * Carl McMillan, partner of Mike Biggs, TV sitcom ''

Mike & Molly ''Mike & Molly'' is an American television sitcom created by Mark Roberts on CBS. It premiered on September 20, 2010, and aired 127 episodes over six seasons. The series stars Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy as the eponymous Mike and Molly ...

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