Mclean

[KateTTC123]

As a first name?

Ooh i love Angus.
Angus McLean goes well.
One of my sons middle names is Crompton. My mums maiden surname, but I used it as a regular name.
There's nothing to stop you using it as a forename if you want.
(Although i dont think McLean Angus sounds as smooth as Angus McLean)

Everyday is a school day
Honestly never head of them.

Avoiding Google was my friend, I can't claim that they were tripping off my tongue.

Angus is great. I didn't like my DGD's name at first but DS and DDiL didn't consult us, they just told us her name after she was born. I agree with previous posters, the grandparents have had their chance, now it's yours.
Please avoid Mc/Mac names as Christian names. My (Mac) maiden name was popular as a first name for a while and I really don't know why you would do that.

I agree that in Scotland surnames as first names are quite normal but I'd probably have a not quite so surname-y one as either the first or middle name. McLean Murray Campbell sounds more like a firm of lawyers than a little boy!

Grant is another that works well. Not an island as far as I know

OP I'd use your suggestion as a middle name. It used to be really common to use mother's maiden names as middle names - few of my grandmother's uncles had Duff and she has Haxton as a middle name.
McLean would work as a middle name but is a bit to try-hard for a first one.

One other consideration is that when the two names can both be first and surnames, people mix them up ie is it Campbell Murray or Murray Campbell.

I'd think with a name like, McLean Campbell people will swap it, he will spend his life correcting people no it's not Campbell McLean it's McLean Campbell.

Good point avoiding.

True. I have a Mac surname and DSs both have filenames that could conceivably be surnames but they never get confused as the wrong way round, but might if it was the Mac as the forename. But then that can apply with lots of other names, James for example is quite common as either.

I have a Mac surname and DSs both have "filenames" that could conceivably be surnames but they never get confused

Filenames

Mac/Mc is so rarely (never) used as firstname that its fairly obvious which way round it goes.

McLean Murray will without doubt be swapped around.
Something like McLean McDonald, ermmm, "Sorry I missed your first name!?!" It could sound like the modern trend to double barrel surnames.

Gahh! was on my tablet and didn't notice the auto correct! :o

I know someone with a Mac forename but their surname isn't one used commonly as a forename so it's not automatically switched round, just usually causes a bit of a ??

Stellan
Lachlan
Logan
Cullen
Broderick (Brody)

Struan is the Gàidhlig for little stream. Sruth - strea, Sruthan streamlet. A common enough name and each to his own.

There is hamlet still called this in Highland Perthshire, a bit outside Blair Atholl, and also another which is smaller called 'Old Struan'. Also an MEP who has it as a forename .

Angus is nice but 'Gus'? Uggh.

McLean Murray Campbell sounds more like a firm of lawyers than a little boy!

Many surnames are actually derivatives of Campbells, too, in the West, same as many surnames in the East are Stewarts. Seems to be a common split: West = Campbell; East = Stewart.

But again, Scotland is a place that has been ruled by Celts, by Norse, by Normans (Normans themselves being Norseman and then Northman and then Norman) so plenty of names. Francis is right, though, no matter how the Yanks play it, 'Mac' or 'Mc' is a boy.

I have a a DN Cornac nn Mac. Anecdotal but I've never taught an Angus that wasn't a total treasure. However the Gus I (briefly) went to secondary school with (was expelled for colouring his willie with a marker pen in RE) was a head case and been in and of prison ever since.

I initially said no to McLean but the more I'm seeing it as I scroll the more I'm starting to like it 😂

I think if you did it, you'd need a capital L as it could be taken as a capital i. I'm not sure if there is any significance to it being a capital or not. Half of DHs family seem to use lowercase in our surname and the other half uppercase. DSs and I use upper but DH uses lower.

Capital or no capital has some significance and it is usually important to the person to get it right (when it's a surname). To avoid a capital in the middle of a first name you could use Maclean. It's usually a capital after 'Mc'.

Ha Mr Bull, DHs family clearly missed the memo on that one.

Our Mac name has a capital after it.

A Scottish once solicitor told me that in law capitals or lower case don't normally mean anything different; a it's simply a matter of family custom and preference. Just like Mc and Mac mean the same (this is comping too late to the party, but very well done FrancisCrawford and supporters on that topic; I wholeheartedly agree.)

In the past, in Gaelic speaking areas, the word following the Mc or Mac would usually have been capitalised of course, since it was a proper name.

I know someone Sottish who has a son called Farlane.