Show ContentsMcConnell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The root of the ancient Dalriadan-Scottish name McConnell is the Gaelic word Mac-Dhomhnaill, which translates to mean the son of the mightiest one in the world.

Early Origins of the McConnell family

The surname McConnell was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McConnell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McConnell research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1546 is included under the topic Early McConnell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McConnell Spelling Variations

The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years McConnell has appeared as MacConnell, MacConnal, MacConnel, Connell and others.

Early Notables of the McConnell family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McConnell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McConnell World Ranking

In the United States, the name McConnell is the 722nd most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. [1] However, in Canada, the name McConnell is ranked the 748th most popular surname with an estimated 7,151 people with that name. [2] And in Australia, the name McConnell is the 804th popular surname with an estimated 4,881 people with that name. [3] New Zealand ranks McConnell as 780th with 934 people. [4] The United Kingdom ranks McConnell as 901st with 7,608 people. [5]

Ireland Migration of the McConnell family to Ireland

Some of the McConnell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McConnell migration to the United States +

Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The McConnell were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown:

McConnell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Adam McConnell, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 [6]
McConnell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Barney McConnell, aged 40, who arrived in New York in 1812 [6]
  • Michael McConnell, aged 32, who landed in New York in 1812 [6]
  • Patrick McConnell, aged 37, who landed in New York in 1812 [6]
  • Robert McConnell, aged 19, who landed in New York in 1812 [6]
  • Terry McConnell, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1812 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada McConnell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McConnell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • George McConnell, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1773
  • Mr. Benjamin McConnell U.E. who settled in St. Mary's, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia c. 1784 [7]
  • Mr. Hugh McConnell U.E. who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 [7]
  • Mr. Joseph McConnell U.E. who settled in St. Mary's, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia c. 1784 [7]
McConnell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Merinus McConnell, who arrived in Canada in 1831
  • John McConnell, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
  • Shane McConnell, aged 29, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
  • Mary McConnell, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
  • John McConnell, aged 24, a shoemaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Quintin Leitch" in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia McConnell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McConnell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James McConnell, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
  • Miss Margaret McConnell, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Diana" on 4th December 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [9]
  • Mr. Hugh McConnell, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Egyptian" on 5th April 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [10]
  • Miss Sarah McConnell, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 14th September 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [11]
  • Simon McConnell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Britannia" in 1846 [12]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand McConnell 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:

McConnell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Mcconnell, (b. 1814), aged 48, British Shepherd travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 [13]
  • Mrs. Martha Mcconnell, (b. 1814), aged 48, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 [13]
  • Miss Ann J. Mcconnell, (b. 1845), aged 17, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 [13]
  • Mr. John Mcconnell, (b. 1847), aged 15, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 [13]
  • Miss Maria Mcconnell, (b. 1850), aged 12, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 [13]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McConnell (post 1700) +

  • Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell Jr. (b. 1942), American politician, United States Senator for Kentucky, Majority Leader of the Senate since January 3, 2015
  • Joe McConnell (1939-2018), American sports announcer from Rochester, Indiana
  • Joseph Christopher McConnell Jr. (1922-1954), American Air Force flying ace credited with shooting down 16 MiG-15s, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and the Distinguished Flying Cross; he was killed while testing a new version of the Sabre on 25 August 1954
  • Scott McConnell (b. 1952), American journalist, founding editor of The American Conservative
  • Brigadier-General Frank Charles McConnell (1898-1981), American Commanding Officer 32nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade (1945-1946) [14]
  • John P. McConnell (1908-1986), former U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff and general
  • John H. McConnell (1923-2008), American industrialist, philanthropist, and founder of the Columbus Blue Jackets
  • John Michael "Mike" McConnell (b. 1943), former vice admiral in the United States Navy
  • Fred and Thomas McConnell, American Air Force pilots and World War II veterans, eponym of McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas
  • Harden M. McConnell (b. 1927), American physical chemist and co-winner of the 1983/84 Wolf Prize in Chemistry
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMAS Sydney II
SS Atlantic
  • Dennis McConnell, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking


Suggested Readings for the name McConnell +

  • Ancestors and Descendants of Myron and Bessie McConnell by Joy L. McConnell.
  • The McConnell Family by John G. Martin.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. 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)
  7. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diana
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/egyptian
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BRITANNIA 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Britannia.htm
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, February 12) Frank McConnell. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McConnell/Frank_Charles/USA.html
  15. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp


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