McAlexander History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland
England

This name comes from the given name Alexander, which was in turn originally derived from the Greek name, which means defender of men. In the late 11th century, Queen Margaret introduced the name into Scotland by naming one of her sons Alexander; she had heard the name in the Hungarian Court where she was raised. From Scotland, the name came to Ireland, where MacAlasandair became the Irish form. 1

Early Origins of the McAlexander family

The surname McAlexander was first found in Down and Antrim, where the family claim descent from Colla Uais. 2

One of the first records of the family was William Alysaundre or Alesander (died after 1313), an Irish judge and Crown official in the reigns of King Edward I of England and his son Edward II. He is thought to have been born in Dublin and was appointed High Sheriff of Kildare in 1299. He was Deputy Justiciar of Ireland in 1313.

Early History of the McAlexander family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McAlexander research. Another 462 words (33 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1230, 1295, 1431, 1475, 1570, 1602, 1605, 1610, 1614, 1615, 1640, 1689, 1755, 1765 and 1846 are included under the topic Early McAlexander History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McAlexander Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Alexander, Alistair, MacAlexander, McAlexander, Alisandre, Alischoner, Alsinder, Alastair, MacAlexter, Callestar, Aleckander, Alexandri, Alisdair, Alaisder, Alestare, Alistare and many more.

Early Notables of the McAlexander family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McAlexander Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McAlexander Ranking

In the United States, the name McAlexander is the 13,989^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the McAlexander family to Ireland

Some of the McAlexander family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McAlexander migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McAlexander Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

E. K. Edgar McAlexander, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name McAlexander (post 1700) +

Jim McAlexander, American Professor of Marketing at Oregon State University
Major General Ulysses Grant McAlexander (1864-1936), American Army officer known as the "Rock of the Marne"
Dr. William W. McAlexander, General Surgeon, Arkansas
Ed McAlexander, American Managing Director at MRA Search, Altanta
G. O. McAlexander, American politician, Member of Virginia State Senate 26th District, 1908-11 4
E. A. McAlexander, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Kansas State Senate 24th District, 2000 4
Robert McAlexander (b. 1952), professional Australian rules footballer

The McAlexander Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per mare, per terras
Motto Translation: By sea, by land.

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html