Magil Surname History

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The Strathclyde-Briton people of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Magil. The Magil family lived in Galloway. The Magil surname also comes from the Gaelic patronytmic name Mac an Ghoill, which means "son of the stranger."

Early Origins of the Magil family

The surname Magil was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Magil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Magil research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1231, 1579, 1582, 1595, 1734 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Magil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Magil Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Magil has been spelled MacGill, Magill, Makgill and others.

Early Notables of the Magil family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir James MacGill of Nether Rankeillour (died 1579), a Scottish politician, Lord Clerk Register to Mary, Queen of Scots; and his son, David MacGill or Makgill (died...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Magil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Magil family to Ireland

Some of the Magil family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Magil migration to the United States +

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them:

Magil Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Samuel Magil, aged 21, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)