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, an ...

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 name Mesnières, from the town of Mesnières-en-Bray in

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
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 commo ...

(). 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 2 ...

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 research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

* Alex Menzies, Scottish football player * Alex Menzies (footballer, born 1882), Scottish international football player * Archibald Menzies (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 w ...

, former Justice of the

High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Australia's Constitution. The High Court was established following passage of the '' Judiciary Act 1903''. ...

* Sir Frederick Menzies, British physician * Gavin Menzies, retired British submarine captain and author * George Menzies, New Zealand rugby league footballer * Gina Menzies, Irish media personality * Heather Menzies (1949–2017), Canadian actress * Henry Menzies (1867–1938), Scottish rugby player * Hugh Menzies (1857–1925), Australian politician *

Ivan Menzies J. Ivan "Jimmy" Menzies (1896 – 19 April 1985) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the comic baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Britain in the 1920s and the J. C. Will ...

(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, Manitoba judge * John K. Menzies, former US-Bosnian ambassador and academic * Karen Menzies (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 seas ...

, Australian cyclist * Mark Menzies, Scottish Conservative MP * Neal Menzies, Australian Professor of Soil Science * Peter Menzies Jr., 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 '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

(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, 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, 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 fro ...

, former leader of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom

Footnotes

References