McIan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McIan

What does the name McIan mean?

The Clan from whom the McIan family descends began among the ancient Dalriadan kingdom of the west coast of Scotland. Their name comes from the given name Ian or John. John is the most common personal name in the Highlands. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Iain.

Early Origins of the McIan family

The surname McIan was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McIan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McIan research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1292, 1340, 1618, 1667, 1717, 1777, 1808, 1875 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McIan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McIan Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name McIan include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include MacIan, MacAne, MacKane, MacKean, MacKain and others.

Early Notables of the McIan family

Archibald McKain (1717-1777), Scottish Shoemaker and Burgess of Elgin, Morayshire, who became the 15th Chief of MacIain of Ardnamurchan. Also of note was Thomas M'kean of Delaware, one of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence. John Canne (d. 1667?), was an English divine and printer and "may...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McIan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McIan family to Ireland

Some of the McIan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McIan family

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John MacKane settled in Carolina in 1806; Alexander, John, Peter, Thomas MacKane all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860; James MacKean settled in Carolina in 1767.

The McIan 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: In hope I byde