Show ContentsMcKie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The McKie family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name McKie is derived from the personal name Aodh, which is often Anglicized as Hugh. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Aoidh, which means son of Aodh.

Early Origins of the McKie family

The surname McKie was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, 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 Scotland.

Early History of the McKie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKie research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1304 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McKie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKie Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of McKie include Mackie, Mackey, MacHugh and others.

Early Notables of the McKie family

More information is included under the topic Early McKie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKie Ranking

In the United States, the name McKie is the 9,308th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the McKie family to Ireland

Some of the McKie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McKie migration to the United States +

The hardy Scots who made the crossing settled all along the east coast of North America and in the great west that was just then opening up. At the time of the American War of Independence, many United Empire Loyalists moved north from the American colonies to Canada. Scottish national heritage became better known in North America in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic events. An examination of immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name McKie arrived in North America very early:

McKie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jean McKie, aged 2, who arrived in New York in 1774 2
  • Mary McKie, who arrived in New York in 1774 2
  • George McKie, aged 48, who landed in New York in 1775 2
  • Samuel McKie, aged 26, who landed in New York, NY in 1775 2
  • John McKie, aged 47, who landed in New York in 1799 2
McKie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Peter McKie, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1800 2
  • William McKie, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1800 2
  • Henry McKie, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
  • Andrew McKie, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
  • Thomas McKie, who arrived in America in 1843 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada McKie migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McKie Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Alexander, David, Janet, Jean, and Samuel McKie, all, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1775

Australia McKie migration to Australia +

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

McKie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Daniel McKie, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Ceylon" in 1850 3
  • Miss Margaret McKie who was convicted in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Aurora" on 22nd April 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

New Zealand McKie 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:

McKie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Jane McKie a housewife, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Romulus" in 1862
  • Elizabeth McKie, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Romulus" in 1862
  • William John McKie, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Romulus" in 1862
  • Mr. David P. Mckie, (b. 1841), aged 22, British sawyer, from Lanarkshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Metropolis" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th June 1863 5
  • Mr. James Mckie, (b. 1840), aged 24, British ploughman travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th March 1864 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McKie (post 1700) +

  • Jason A. McKie (b. 1980), American former football fullback who played from 2002 to 2010
  • Roy McKie, American illustrator of children's books, best known for his work on many Dr. Seuss books
  • Aaron Fitzgerald McKie (b. 1972), American retired professional NBA basketball player
  • William McKie, American politician, Farmer-Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 15th District, 1936 6
  • Stanley G. McKie, American Republican politician, Member of Ohio State Senate from Hamilton County; Elected 1938 6
  • James McKie Jr., American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Washington County, 1842 6
  • George McKie, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Washington County, 1835 6
  • David McKie (b. 1935), British journalist, historian and former deputy editor of The Guardian
  • Angus McKie (b. 1951), English artist and colorist in the comics industry
  • Ronald Cecil Hamlyn McKie (1909-1991), Australian novelist and journalist from Toowoomba, Queensland; he jointly won the Miles Franklin Award and FAW Barbara Ramsden Award for The Mango Tree, 1974
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The McKie 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: Labore
Motto Translation: By labour.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CEYLON 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Ceylon%20RegisterAugust6.gif
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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