Patronymic was used by illegitimate royal children who were acknowledged as such by their fathers. The use of "Mac" in some form was prevalent in Scottish Gaelic, Irish and Manx, in all of which it denotes "son". "Mc" is also a frequent anglicisation in both Scotland and Ireland. In Ireland, the forms "Mag" and "M'" are encountered. The prefix "Mac" is used to form a patronym, such as "Mac Coinnich" – or the anglicized 'Mackenzie' – son of Coinneach/Kenneth. The female equivalent of "Mac" is "Nic", condensed from "nighean mhic" (in Scottish Gaelic) or "iníon mhic" (in Irish), both meaning daughter.
Cullen (surname) Cullen (surname) Cullen is a surname of Gaelic origin. It is thought to be derived from the pre 8th century Old Gaelic name O' Cuileannain, with the prefix O' indicating a male descendant of, plus the personal byname Cuilleannain. The name seems to be related to Cullinane. While Cullen is encountered primarily in Dublin and southeast Ireland, Cullinan/Cullinane used almost exclusively in western Ireland on a North-South-Axis from Galway to Cork. A distribution map of the name has been processed on a genealogy site. A Cullenite is a follower of any man named Cullen. Notable Cullens to have followers referred