McNabb

McNabb is a Scottish surname, a variant of McNab.

Like McNab, which is an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac an Aba meaning "son of the abbot," McNabb ultimately originates from a clan associated with ecclesiastical office. The name points to a hereditary lineage of abbots in early medieval Scotland, where religious leaders often passed their titles and lands within their families. Over time, the spelling McNabb emerged as a variant, likely through phonetic anglicization.

Notable Bearers

Several individuals have borne the surname McNabb across various fields. In sports, notable figures include Donovan McNabb (born 1976), a former American football quarterback, and Brayden McNabb (born 1991), a Canadian ice hockey player for the Vegas Golden Knights. Others include Carl McNabb (1917–2007, baseball player), Chet McNabb (1920–1990, basketball player), and Ian McNabb (born 1960), a British musician. In politics, Duncan McNabb (born 1952) served as a US Air Force general. The surname also appears in Canadian, American, and New Zealand history.

Related forms include the Scottish Gaelic original Mac an Aba, meaning "son of the abbot." The name is most common in Irish and Scottish usage.

• Meaning: "son of the abbot"
• Origin: Scottish Gaelic
• Type: Patronymic surname
• Regions: Scotland, Ireland
• Variants: McNab, Mac an Aba