A Scottish surname meaning 'son of Cormac.' Most famously associated with Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the mechanical reaper, and the McCormick spice company.
From Scottish Gaelic 'Mac Cormaic' meaning 'son of Cormac,' where Cormac derives from 'corb' (raven) + 'mac' (son). The name evolved through Irish and Scottish clan traditions before spreading to America with immigration.
Cyrus McCormick's mechanical reaper didn't just revolutionize farming - it fundamentally changed human civilization by freeing people from agricultural labor, enabling urbanization and the Industrial Revolution. One surname became synonymous with both feeding the world (through mechanized agriculture) and flavoring it (through the spice empire), showing how innovation can echo through generations.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.