Mac Maoláin Mac Maoláin Mac Maoláin Gaelic-Irish surname. Mac Maoláin was a surname borne by a number of unrelated families in Gaelic Ireland, anciently found in Breifne, Mide, Brega, Connacht and Ulster. Now anglicized MacMullan, MacMullen, MacMoylan, McMullen, McMullan, McMellon, and McMullin, this name finds its origins as the collateral form of the root forenames: Maelan (pronounced Moylan); Maolain (pronounced Mullan) and Meallain (pronounced Mellan). The Irish form Mac (pronounced Mec=son of) Maoláin evolved primarily in the provinces of Connacht, Leinster and also in Ulster, where the influx of Scot Irish McMillan who adopted the Irish form McMullen makes separation of the
McKinley (surname) nickname given the deposed MacDunleavy dynasty royals while exiled in Tirconnell and elsewhere. Being, also, one of Ireland's ancient hereditary medical families, the MacDunleavy (variant English spelling MacDonlevy) were in Tirconnell accorded the high Gaelic status of "ollahm leighis" or the official physicians to the O'Donnell clan in County Donegal and practiced as physicians while exiled in Argyll, Scotland. The nickname was Mac an Leigh. Per this scenario the Gaelic language patronymic forming prefix "Mac" (meaning "descended of") is joined to the Gaelic language "Léigh" meaning leech, but denoting a physician. Leeching (medical) having been for millennia, in Gaelic Ireland