Mac Suibhne

The Gaelic surname Mac Suibhne is a patronymic form of Suibhne and means "son of Suibhne".[1] The personal name Suibhne means "pleasant".[2]

Anglicised forms of Mac Suibhne include: McSeveney,[3] McSeveny,[3] McSween,[4] McSweeney,[1] McSweeny,[1] McSwiney,[1] Sweaney,[5] Sween,[1] Sweeney,[5] Sweenie,[5] Sweeny,[5] Sweney,[6] Swiney,[7] Swinney,[8] A lenited variant form of Mac Suibhne is Mac Shuibhne.[2] Anglicised forms of the latter Gaelic name include: (possibly) Mawhinney,[9] McQueen,[10] McQueeney,[10] McQueenie,[10] (possibly) McWhinney,[9] Queen,[11] Queeney,[11] Wheen.[12]

One particular family that has borne the surname Mac Suibhne is Clann Suibhne. Members of this Scottish family settled in Ulster as gallowglass warriors in the Middle Ages.[5]