Contents [hide]

McRae History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

McRae History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

McRae was a name for a prosperous person. The Gaelic form of the surname McRae is Mac Rath, which literally means son of grace or son of prosperity.

Early Origins of the McRae family

The surname McRae was first found in Inverness-shire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) divided between the present day Scottish Council Areas of Highland and Western Isles, and consisting of a large northern mainland area and various island areas off the west coast, the shire was anciently both a Pictish and Norwegian stronghold, but their ancient history is often clouded with conjecture. It appears certain that they lived before the 14th century at Clunes, to the west of Inverness in the territories of the Fraser Clan. Consequently the family has always been friendly towards that Clan. From about 1400, they moved to the location with which they are readily associated, Kintail.

Early History of the McRae family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McRae research. Another 548 words (39 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1425, 1477, 1505, 1539, 1688, 1715, 1745, 1764, 1778 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McRae History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McRae Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name McRae include MacCrae, MacCraith, MacCrath, MacCraw, MacCray, MacCrea, MacCree, MacCreight, MacCrie, MacReagh, MacRae, MacRay, MacRie and many more.

Early Notables of the McRae family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Finghin MacCarthy Reagh (c.1425-1505), the 8th Prince of Carbery from 1477 to 1505, belonged to the MacCarthy Reagh dynasty; the Earl of Seaforth who forfeited his lands in 1715, but in 1764 was allowed to buy the lands back from the Government. In gratitude he offered to raise a regiment to be known as the Seaforth Highlanders (the 78th Regiment). Composed largely of MacKenzies and MacRaes (always loyal supporters of the MacKenzies whose Chief commanded the Regiment), it was embodied at Elgin in May 1778...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McRae Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McRae World Ranking

In the United States, the name McRae is the 1,576^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name McRae is ranked the 802^nd most popular surname with an estimated 6,690 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name McRae is the 512^nd popular surname with an estimated 7,445 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks McRae as 455^th with 1,523 people. 4

Migration of the McRae family to Ireland

Some of the McRae family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McRae migration to the United States +

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of McRae:

McRae Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christopher McRae, who landed in Virginia in 1766 5
Duncan McRae, who landed in America in 1775 5
Margaret McRae, aged 19, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775 5

McRae Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Colin McRae, aged 36, who arrived in Connecticut in 1812 5
Peter McRae, aged 51, who arrived in North Carolina in 1812 5
Malcom McRae, aged 56, who arrived in North Carolina in 1813 5
Farqhuar McRae, who landed in New York in 1825 5
P J McRae, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McRae migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McRae Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Isaac McRae U.E. who settled in Didgeguash, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 6

McRae Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Ann McRae, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
Betsy McRae, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
Duncan McRae, aged 5, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
Farquhar McRae, aged 1, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
Margaret Mary McRae, aged 4, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McRae migration to Australia +

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

McRae Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Finlay McRae, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tomatin" in 1840 7
Janet McRae, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tomatin" in 1840 7
Christina McRae, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tomatin" in 1840 7
Barbara McRae, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tomatin" in 1840 7
Donald McRae, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tomatin" in 1840 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McRae 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:

McRae Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George McRae, aged 40, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
Ellen McRae, aged 38, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
Catherine McRae, aged 19, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
Isabella McRae, aged 17, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
William McRae, aged 15, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mary Ann" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McRae (post 1700) +

William Chann McRae (b. 1971), American professional road bicycle racer
Brian Wesley McRae (b. 1967), American former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1990 to 1999
Timothy "Tim" McRae (b. 1970), American Olympic weightlifter, two-time bronze medalist at the Pan American Games (1995, 1999)
Mike McRae (b. 1955), American Olympic long jumper at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Dandridge McRae (1829-1899), American lawyer and soldier, Inspector General of Arkansas State Troops, as well as a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
Carmen McRae (1920-1994), American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress
Bruce McRae (1867-1927), American stage and early silent film actor
Tate Rosner McRae (b. 2003), Canadian singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress from Calgray, Alberta, who at the age of thirteen was the first Canadian finalist on the American reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance
Graham McRae (1940-2021), New Zealand racing driver who achieved considerable success in Formula 5000 racing, winning the Tasman Series each year from 1971 to 1973, and also the 1972 L&M Continental 5000 Championship in the United States
Tom McRae (b. 1969), born Jeremy Thomas McRae Blackall, an English singer-songwriter
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McRae family +

HMS Hood

Mr. William R McRae (b. 1923), English Boy Telegraphist serving for the Royal Navy from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 8

RMS Titanic

Mr. William Alexander McRae (d. 1912), aged 31, Irish Fireman/Stoker from Belfast, Ireland who worked aboared the RMS Titanic, died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 9

The McRae 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: Fortitudine
Motto Translation: With fortitude.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
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
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TOMATIN 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Tomatin.htm
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html