McKaig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The original Gaelic form of McKaig was Mac Taidh or Ó Taidhg.

Early Origins of the McKaig family

The surname McKaig was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McKaig family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKaig research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1493, 1583, 1589, 1772 and 1810 are included under the topic Early McKaig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKaig Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name McKaig revealed spelling variations, including MacTeige, McTeige, MacTigue, McTigue, MacCaig, MacCaige, McCaig, McCaige, MacKaig, McKaig, MacKeague, McKeague, McKeage, MacTague and many more.

Early Notables of the McKaig family

Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKaig Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKaig migration to the United States +

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the McKaig family came to North America quite early:

McKaig Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George and William McKaig, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1854
James McKaig, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1863 1

Contemporary Notables of the name McKaig (post 1700) +

William McMahon McKaig (1845-1907), American politician, Representative of the 6th Congressional District of Maryland (1891-1895)
Cecil McKaig (1885-1939), British tandem cyclist at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Admiral Sir John Rae McKaig CBE, British Military Representative to NATO, Flag Officer, Plymouth (1970–1973)

Historic Events for the McKaig family +

Lady of the Lake

Miss Lilly McKaig (b. 1820), Irish traveller from Moville, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking
Miss Martha McKaig (b. 1817), Irish traveller from Moville, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking
Miss Ann McKaig (b. 1813), Irish traveller from Moville, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking
Miss Elizabeth McKaig (b. 1813), Irish traveller from Moville, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking
Mrs. Mary Ann McKaig (b. 1793), Irish traveller from Moville, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking
... (Another 3 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The McKaig 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: Summum nec metuam diem nec optem
Motto Translation: May I neither dread nor desire the last day.

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)