Show ContentsMcCaskell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

On the western coast of Scotland and on the Hebrides islands the McCaskell family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from an ancient Norse warrior name Askell, which means cauldron of the Gods and denoted son of Asgaill.

Early Origins of the McCaskell family

The surname McCaskell was first found in living on the Islands of Skye and of Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas), 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. On Skye, ancestors of the McCaskell Clan occupied the district of "Rubha an Dunain, " where the ruins of the family residence may seen to this day.

Early History of the McCaskell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCaskell research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1795 and 1863 are included under the topic Early McCaskell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCaskell Spelling Variations

In various documents McCaskell has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacAskill, MacAskill, Gaskell, Gaskill, MacGaskill, MacKaskil, MacKaskill and many more.

Early Notables of the McCaskell family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCaskell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McCaskell migration to the United States +

Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name McCaskell or a variant listed above:

McCaskell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John McCaskell, who landed in Virginia in 1776 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name McCaskell (post 1700) +

  • Stephen McCaskell, American author, known for his book Through the Eyes of C.H. Spurgeon: Quotes from a Reformed Baptist Preacher (2012)
  • Troy McCaskell, American actor, known for his work in Orgazmo (1997), Tiger Street (1998) and My Samurai (1992)
  • Tim McCaskell, Canadian educator and advocate, known for his book, Race to Equity: Disrupting Educational Inequality (2005)


The McCaskell 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: Spea
Motto Translation: By hope.


  1. 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)


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