Show ContentsMcKeever History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The McKeever surname is thought to have derived from an Old Norse personal name Ivarr of uncertain origin. It became a given name in Ireland, Scotland and Wales before becoming a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the McKeever family

The surname McKeever was first found in Dumbartonshire. The first on record was "Douenaldus filius Makbeth mac Ywar was one of the perambulators of the boundary between the lands of Arnbroath Abbey and the barony of Kynblathmund, 1219." [1]

Early History of the McKeever family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKeever research. Another 296 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1292, 1479, 1488, 1499, 1541, 1562, 1563, 1621, 1622, 1638, 1640, 1644, 1659, 1890 and 1931 are included under the topic Early McKeever History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKeever Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacIver, MacIvor, MacCure, MacEure, MacUre and many more.

Early Notables of the McKeever family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKeever Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKeever Ranking

In the United States, the name McKeever is the 4,329th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the McKeever family to Ireland

Some of the McKeever family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McKeever migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McKeever Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Nancy McKeever, aged 45, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 [3]
  • Daniel McKeever, aged 21, who landed in Delaware in 1812 [3]
  • Alexander McKeever, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 [3]
  • Robert McKeever, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 [3]
  • Margaret McKeever, aged 37, who landed in New York, NY in 1834 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada McKeever migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McKeever Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Archy McKeever, aged 16, who landed in Quebec in 1834
  • Eliza McKeever, aged 18, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
  • Jane McKeever, aged 14, who landed in Quebec in 1834
  • Martha Anne McKeever, aged 7, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
  • Mary McKeever, aged 19, who landed in Quebec in 1834
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia McKeever migration to Australia +

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

McKeever Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Alexander McKeever, Scottish convict who was convicted in Ayr, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [4]
  • Daniel McKeever, aged 33, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" [5]

New Zealand McKeever 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:

McKeever Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Laurence Mckeever, (b. 1840), aged 20, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 [6]
  • Miss Catherine Mckeever, (b. 1841), aged 19, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st August 1860 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name McKeever (post 1700) +

  • Michael Pierce McKeever Sr. (b. 1941), American economics and business educator, CEO, founder McKeever Institute Economics Policy Analysis (1995)
  • Jason Jay McKeever (b. 1976), American singer-songwriter & composer
  • Edward Clark Timothy McKeever (1910-1974), American football player, coach, and executive
  • Stephen W. McKeever (1853-1938), American construction contractor in Brooklyn, New York who built Ebbets Field
  • Ted McKeever, award-winning American comics artist
  • Marlin Thomas McKeever (1940-2006), American football defensive end, fullback and punter
  • Sean Kelley McKeever (b. 1972), American comic book writer
  • John Paul McKeever (b. 1987), Scottish football midfielder
  • Kieran McKeever (b. 1968), former Irish dual player
  • James "Jim" McKeever (1930-2023), Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The McKeever 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: Numquam obliviscar
Motto Translation: I will never forget.


  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  5. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EPAMINONDAS 1852. Retrieved www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1852.shtml
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook