McKeller Surname History

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

It was in the Scottish/English Borderlands that the Strathclyde-Briton people first used the ancient name McKeller. It was a name for someone who lived in the lands of (Easter and Wester) Keilor in the adjoining parishes of Newtyle and Kettins in Angus. The names are still common in the district. 1

Early Origins of the McKeller family

The surname McKeller was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland. "Stephen de Cellar [was] burgess of Roxburgh, 1262. Duncan de Cellario, burgess of Peril 1292 is doubtless Dunkan del Celer, burgess of Perth, who rendered homage in 1296." 1

The MacKellar variant with its various spellings is in "Gaelic Mac Ealair, 'son of Ealair,' the Gaelic form of Latin Hilarius, the name of the bishop of Poitiers, commemorated in the Felire of Oengus at 13 January. " 1

Early History of the McKeller family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKeller research. Another 517 words (37 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1345, 1372, 1383, 1398, 1436, 1470, 1476, 1488, 1493, 1496, 1500, 1518, 1525, 1528, 1538, 1550, 1553, 1594, 1679, 1685, 1688, 1704, 1797, 1834, 1876, 1880, 1885 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McKeller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKeller Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. McKeller has appeared as Keller, Kellar, Keeler, Keilor, Keiler, Keillor, Keiller, Kelour, MacKeller and many more.

Early Notables of the McKeller family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Godfrey Keller (d. 1704), musical theorist and harpsichord player, was born in Germany, but settled in London towards the end of the seventeenth century as professor and composer. He died in November 1704, leaving a widow and two sons. To the elder, Godfrey, he bequeathed his ‘best fiddle’ and spinet. 2 Mary MacKellar (1834-1890), highland poetess, daughter of Allan Cameron, baker at Fort William, was born on 1 Oct. 1834. She married early John Mackellar, captain and joint-owner of a coasting vessel, with...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKeller Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McKeller family to Ireland

Some of the McKeller family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKeller migration to Australia +

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

McKeller Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Margaret McKeller, aged 27, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"

McKeller 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:

McKeller Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Archibald McKeller, Scottish settler travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Sir William Eyre" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand in April 1863 3
Mary McKeller, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html