MacLean, also spelt McLean, is a Scottish Gaelic surname (Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John). The clan surname is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Gille Eathain", a patronymic meaning "son of Gillean". Gillean means "the Servant of [Saint] John [the Baptist]"), named for Gilleathain na Tuaidh, known as "Gillian of the Battleaxe", a famous 5th century warrior.
Eachan Reaganach and his brother Lachlan were descended from Gilleathain na Tuaidh, and are the progenitors of the clan. The family grew very powerful throughout the Hebrides and Highlands through alliances with the Catholic Church in Scotland in the 9th century, the MacDonalds in the 13th century, and the MacKays and MacLeods in the 16th century. Other spellings of the name include McClean, MacLaine, McLaine, McLain, MacLane, and many others.
Duart Castle is the seat of Clan MacLean.
Contents
McLean
Aaron McLean (born 1983), English professional footballer
Adam McLean, Scottish authority on alchemical texts and symbolism
Agnes McLean (1918–1994), Scottish trade unionist and politician
AJ McLean (born 1978), American musician and singer
Al McLean (politician) (born 1937), Canadian politician from Ontario
Alan McLean (New Zealand cricketer) (1911–2003), New Zealand cricketer
Alex McLean (born 1975), British musician and software researcher
Allan Campbell McLean (1922-1989), British writer and political activist
Allan McLean (Australian politician) (1840–1911), Premier of Victoria 1899–1900, Gippsland's first Federal representative 1901–1906
Allan McLean (outlaw) (1855–1881), Canadian outlaw and son of Donald McLean, fur trader and explorer
Aloka McLean (born 1981), Canadian actress
Andrea McLean, British weather forecaster and television personality
Angela McLean (biologist), University of Oxford Professor of Mathematical Biology
Angela McLean, Lieutenant-Governor of Montana (2014–16)
Archibald McLean (disambiguation), various
Bethany McLean, business writer for Vanity Fair magazine; formerly Fortune magazine; well known for her work in uncovering the Enron scandal
Bill McLean (1918–1996), Australian soldier and rugby union player, Wallabies captain
Bitty McLean, British/Jamaican reggae singer
Bruce McLean, Scottish artist
Brian McLean (disambiguation), various
Daniel McLean (disambiguation), various
David McLean (disambiguation), various
David McLean (businessman) (born 1938), founder of the McLean Group of Companies
Derek McLean (1932–2025), English footballer
Des McLean, Scottish stand-up comedian, actor and presenter
Dominique "SonicFox" McLean (born 1991), American esports player
Don McLean (born 1945), American singer and songwriter
Donald McLean (fur trader) (1805–1864), Hudson's Bay Company fur trader and explorer, father of outlaw Allan McLean
Donald McLean (New Zealand politician) (1820–1877), New Zealand politician and government official
Donald McLean (pastoralist) (1780–1855) pioneer wheat farmer of South Australia
Doug McLean, Jr. (1912–1961), Australian rugby union and rugby league player
Doug McLean, Sr. (1880–1947), Australian rugby union and rugby league player
Edward Beale McLean (1889–1941), American newspaper publisher, Washington Post
Emily Nelson Ritchie McLean (1859–1916), American civic leader
Ernest McLean (1926–2012), American R&B guitarist
Ernie McLean (politician), Canadian politician
Errol McLean (born 1952), Guyanese cyclist
Evalyn Walsh McLean (1886–1947), American Washington socialite, wife of Edward Beale McLean
George F. McLean (1929–2016), American philosopher
George P. McLean (1857–1932), American politician
Gloria Hatrick McLean (1918–1994), wife of American actor Jimmy Stewart
G. S. McLean, founder and long-time past President of Full Gospel Bible Institute (now Eston College), pastor, lecturer and writer
Ian McLean (1929–1965), Australian rules footballer
Ian McLean (politician) (born 1934), New Zealand politician
Jamel McLean (born 1988), American basketball player
John McLean (1785–1861), American politician and jurist from Ohio
John McLean (disambiguation), other people named John McLean
Jackie McLean (1931–2006), American jazz musician
James "Buddy" McLean, Irish-American gangster
James Hamilton McLean (1936–2016), American malacologist
Jason C. McLean (born 1977), Canadian stage actor
Jim McLean (1937–2020), Scottish football player and manager
Jock McLean (1908–1988), Scottish footballer
John McLean (1785–1861), American politician and jurist from Ohio
John McLean (Illinois politician) (1791–1830), American politician from Illinois
Kenny McLean (born 1992), Scottish footballer
Kirk McLean (born 1966), Canadian professional ice hockey player
Lachlan McLean (news anchor) (born 1968), American radio broadcaster
Lachlan McLean (footballer) (born 1996), Australian former soccer player
Lenny McLean a.k.a. “Guv'nor” (1949–1998), English weightlifter and boxer
Luke McLean (born 1987), Australian-born Italian rugby union player
Mable Parker McLean (1922–2012), American academic administrator
Malcom McLean (1914–2001), inventor of containerized shipping
McLean (singer) (born 1980), Anthony McLean a British singer previously known as Digga.
McLean Stevenson (1929–1996), American actor
Martha McLean, local activist
Margaret McLean (1845–1923), Australian women's rights advocate
Matt McLean, American swimmer
Matt McLean (racing driver), racing driver
Matty McLean (born 1986), New Zealand television presenter
Max McLean (born 1953), stage actor, writer, and producer
Michelle McLean (contemporary), Namibian woman crowned Miss Universe in 1992
Motto McLean (1925–2019), Canadian ice hockey player
Nathaniel McLean (1815–1905), Union Army Civil War general
Nixon McLean (born 1973), West Indian cricketer
Nolan McLean (born 2001), American baseball player
Paul McLean (rugby union) (born 1953), Australian rugby union player and rugby union administrator
Ray (Scooter) McLean, head coach of the Green Bay Packers football team in 1958
Roderick McLean (19th century), Scottish poet who attempted to assassinate Queen Victoria
Samuel McLean (U.S. Consul), U.S. Consul for Trinidad de Cuba; 1849–1853, born 1797 in Alexandria, Virginia
Samuel McLean (congressman), Congressman for Montana, born 1826 in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania
Samuel McLean (Canadian politician), politician of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Sara McLean, former Miss Scotland 2011 runner-up and Big Brother 2012 housemate
Stuart or Stewart McLean, various
Tim McLean (1985–2008), Canadian murder victim
Tommy McLean (born 1947), Scottish football player and manager
Tre McLean (born 1993), American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Walter McLean (born 1936), Canadian clergyman and politician from British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario
William B. McLean (1914–1976), United States Navy physicist, conceived and developed the heat-seeking Sidewinder missile
Wilmer McLean (1814–1882), American farmer in whose house the American Civil war ended in 1865
MacLean
Alex MacLean (born 1947), American photographic artist
Alick Maclean (1872–1936), English composer
Alistair MacLean (1922–1987), Scottish novelist
Allan Maclean of Torloisk, officer in the British Army responsible for Canada not taken over by rebels during the American War of Independence
Alejandro Maclean, Spanish film producer and aerobatics pilot
Alison Maclean, Canadian film director of music videos
Andrew Dyas MacLean (1896–1971), Canadian naval officer and publisher
Angus MacLean (1915–2000), Canadian politician, former Premier of Prince Edward Island
Archer Maclean (contemporary), British computer games programmer
Archibald MacLean, British Army and Royal Air Force officer
Billy Joe MacLean (1936–2025), Canadian politician
Bonnie MacLean, American artist
Brett MacLean (born 1988), Canadian ice hockey player
Bryan MacLean (1946–1998), American singer, guitarist and songwriter
Calum Maclean (folklorist) (1915–1960), Scottish folklorist, collector, ethnographer and author
Charles Hector Fitzroy Maclean of Duart, Baron Maclean (1916–1990), Scottish nobleman, Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth II 1971–1984
McClean
James McClean (born 1989), Irish footballer
Maclean Feudal Barons in Scotland
The Honorable Sir Lachlan Maclean of Duart Baron of Duart
Sir Charles Edward Maclean of Dunconnel Bt, 2nd Baronet of Strachur and Glensluain, Baron Strachur, and 16th Hereditary Keeper and Captain of Dunconnel in the Isles of The Sea
Lorne Gillean Ian Mclaine of Lochbuie Baron of Moy
Malcolm Fraser Maclean of Kingairloch Baron of Kingairloch
Kenneth Lee MacLean Baron of Denboig
David Ian Mclean Baron of Preston
Maclean Life Peers
Charles Maclean, Baron Maclean
David Maclean, Baron Blencathra
Fictional characters
Chris McLean, host of the Total Drama series
Lord Maclean, a character in "The Revenge of Hamish", a poem by Sidney Lanier
Tristan McLean, the mortal father of Piper McLean created by Rick Riordan.
Will McLean, narrator in the 1980 novel The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy
Piper McLean, a character in Rick Riordan's The Heroes of Olympus series. She is a demigod daughter of Aphrodite and Tristan McLean.
Lucy MacLean, a protagonist of the Fallout TV series, where she portrays a vault dweller in search of her father Hank MacLean.
Hank MacLean, a character in the Fallout TV Series, Lucy MacLean's father and the Overseer of Vault 33.