McElwain

McElwain is a surname of Celtic origin. It can be derived from either Scottish or Irish. The Scottish translation being the anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Gille Bheathain, meaning ‘son of the servant of (Saint) Beathan’ and also a personal name representing a diminutive of beatha ‘life’. The Irish form being the anglicised form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Bháin, meaning ‘son of the white-haired (i.e. ‘ash blond’) lad’. In Ulster this surname can be derived to be the Scottish form as opposed to the Irish form which would be more common in the Republic of Ireland. Another anglicised version of the Irish "Mac Giolla Bháin" is the surname Kilbane.