Meckle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Welsh Meckle surname is thought to derived from name of the village of Machen, located near Caerphilly, in the county of Monmouthshire.

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Matthew.' 1

Early Origins of the Meckle family

The surname Meckle was first found in Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy), at Machen, a parish, in the union of Newport, partly in the hundred of Wentlloog, South Wales. 2

Early History of the Meckle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meckle research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1600, 1614 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Meckle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meckle Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Meckle have included Machen, Machin, Machon, Mackon, Makin, Makins, MacMacken and many more.

Early Notables of the Meckle family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Thomas Machen (c. 1541-1614), an English mercer who was mayor of Gloucester three times, Member of Parliament for Gloucester in 1614; Bathsua Reginald Makin (c.1600-c.1675) English middle-class proto-feminist who...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Meckle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Meckle family to Ireland

Some of the Meckle family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meckle migration to the United States +

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Meckle:

Meckle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Catherina Meckle, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 3
Maria Meckle, aged 3, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 3
Susanna Meckle, aged 35, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 3

Meckle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francis Meckle, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 3

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)