Macrow - Name

Recorded in several forms including MacCrow, Macro, Macrow, Mackro, this is a very unusual surname. We believe that it is almost certainly Scottish in origin, and this is confirmed by the entries in Black's famous 'Surnames of Scotland' recognised as the leading authority on Celtic surnames. This dictionary states that it is a variant form of the original Clan MacRae and MacRay, of which there are a wide variety of spellings. These were known to include such spellings as Macraes, Mackra, Mackra, from which in particular, Macro and Mackro are easy leaps. It has to be remembered that in the past eduction was non existent for 95% of the population and local dialects very thick. When in addition people travelled to other parts or worse, other countries, it is remarkable that subsequent spellings ever bore any resemblance to the orginal. The name probably means 'The son of the gracious one' from the pre 10th century Gaelic 'Mag rath' and in Scotland Hew Mackrow and his brother were murdered by members of Clan Campbell at Dunoon in 1646. The first recording in any spelling may be that of Alexander MacRath, a charter witness on behalf of the earlo f Lennox in the year 1225.