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![Show Contents]() McCan Surname History
- Origins Available:
 Ireland
Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English, McCan appeared as Mac Cana, which is derived from the word cana, which means wolf cub. Early Origins of the McCan familyThe surname McCan was first found in County Armagh (Irish: Ard Mhacha) located in the province of Ulster in present day Northern Ireland, at Clanbrasil, a region on the southern shore of Lough Neagh. The family supplanted the O'Graveys at the time of Strongbow's Anglo-Norman invasion in 1172 as lords of this area and became known as the Lords of Clanbrassil. One of the earliest records of the name was Amhlaibh Mc Canna (died 1155), described by the Four Masters as "pillar of chivalry and vigour of Cinel Eoghin" 1 Early History of the McCan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCan research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1155, 1598 and 1718 are included under the topic Early McCan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McCan Spelling VariationsPronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname McCan are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include MacCann, MacCanna, MacCan, MacAnn, MacAn and others. Early Notables of the McCan familyProminent amongst the family at this time was - Captain Don Edmundo Magean (McCann), Irish soldier who served in the Spanish Army in 1718
 McCan migration to the United States | + |
During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the McCan family in North America:
McCan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John McCan, who landed in Virginia in 1735 2
McCan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Judith McCan, aged 60, who landed in New York, NY in 1805 2
- Mary McCan, who arrived in America in 1805 2
- Peter McCan, who landed in Matagorda, Tex in 1829 2
| McCan migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: McCan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Charles McCan, aged 40, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
| McCan migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: McCan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Hugh Mccan, (Mccann), (b. 1790), aged 30, Irish shepherd who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for life for theft, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
- Mr. Michael McCan, British Convict who was convicted in Stafford, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 4
| McCan migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: McCan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Miss Ellen Mccan, (b. 1845), aged 22, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd January 1868 5
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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McCan migration to the United States 
McCan migration to Canada 
McCan migration to Australia 
McCan migration to New Zealand 
