Show ContentsEckenrode History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Originally, Eckenrode was a nickname for a person who was skilled in the riding of horses or who owned many horses. The Gaelic form of the name was Mac Eachthighearna, which translates as son of the horse-lord. [1]

Early Origins of the Eckenrode family

The surname Eckenrode was first found in Kintyre, where "on the shaft of the cross at Kilkerran near Campbeltown, is the inscription: Hec est: crvx: Coleni: Mc: Heachyrna: et Katirine: uxoris: eivs (Drummond, Sculptured monuments of Iona, pl. lxxxi). This is probably Colin MacEachern who was chief of the Macecherns in 1499." [1]

Early History of the Eckenrode family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eckenrode research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1499, 1505, 1506, 1507, 1512, 1515, 1541, 1596, 1605, 1647, 1659, 1662, 1682, 1684, 1694, 1769, 1788, 1798, 1801, 1806, 1814, 1818, 1847, 1849 and 1888 are included under the topic Early Eckenrode History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eckenrode Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Eckenrode has appeared in various documents spelled MacEachern, MacEachen, MacEachan, MacEachin, MacEachren and many more.

Early Notables of the Eckenrode family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Evan MacEachen (1769-1849), Gaelic scholar, born at Arisaig, Invernessshire, in 1769, was educated in a school at Ruthven, near Keith. He was sent in 1788 to the Scots College at Valladolid, where he was ordained priest in 1798. On his return to the mission he was stationed at Arisaig. In 1801 he was removed to Badenoch...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eckenrode Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eckenrode Ranking

In the United States, the name Eckenrode is the 9,710th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the Eckenrode family to Ireland

Some of the Eckenrode family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 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 Eckenrode family

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Eckenrode, or a variant listed above: Archibald MacEachern and his wife Jean, who settled in New York State with the children in 1738; Donald MacEachern and his wife Anne settled with his child in New York State in 1738.


Contemporary Notables of the name Eckenrode (post 1700) +

  • Lyle D. Eckenrode, American Republican politician, Candidate for Mayor of Maumee, Ohio, 1933, 1939, 1941 [3]
  • J. W. Eckenrode, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1912 [3]
  • Alfred Eckenrode, American politician, Delegate to Socialist National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1960 [3]


The Eckenrode 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: Per mare per terras
Motto Translation: By sea and by land.


  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. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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