McPherson surname meaning

McPherson is the usual American spelling of Scottish Gaelic Mac a’ Phearsain, “son of the parson” or “son of the priest.” The name began as a patronymic from a clerical title rather than from an ordinary personal name, and it became the surname of a Highland clan associated with Badenoch and the Chattan confederation. MacPherson and Macpherson keep the fuller Mac- form; McPhearson is a later spelling. Related reduced forms such as Pherson exist but are rarer. Parent’s name fits the Mac “son of” construction, and the parson-descent meaning is high confidence.