Mcnaughton

The surname McNaughton has its origins in Scotland, first appearing in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "Naughtan" meaning "little poor one" or "little bare one". The prefix "Mac" translates to "son of", indicating the name originally referred to the son of someone named Naughtan.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. It was also found in the Black Book of Taymouth, a 16th century manuscript recording land charters and genealogies of Scottish clans.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to 1296, with Andrew McNachtan appearing in the Ragman Rolls. The name has also been spelled as McNaughton, McNaghten, McNaughten, and McNauchtan throughout history.

The McNaughtons were a prominent Scottish clan based in Argyllshire and were closely associated with the powerful Campbell clan. During the Wars of Scottish Independence, they supported Robert the Bruce, with John McNaughton being recorded as one of his supporters in 1320.

In the 16th century, Sir John McNaughton of Beuchanside was a notable member of the clan, serving as a judge and legal advisor to King James VI of Scotland. Another prominent figure was Sir Francis McNaughton (1589-1674), a Scottish soldier and landowner who fought for the Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Sir William McNaughton (1825-1915), a British colonial administrator in India and author of several books on Indian history and politics, and John McNaughton (1835-1914), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

In the United States, Andrew McNaughton (1925-2014) was a respected mathematician and statistician, known for his contributions to the field of stochastic processes and his work on the Manhattan Project during World War II.