MacBrayne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

On the Scottish west coast, the MacBrayne family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the Gaelic name Maca'Bhriuthainn, which literally means the son of a judge.

Early Origins of the MacBrayne family

The surname MacBrayne was first found in on the Isle of Islay. Later, Andro McBrome, the burgess of Kirkcudbright, was charged with intromitting with pirates, 1576. Joannes McBromius appears in 1655 with his name in Latin form and Margaret McKbroome in the parish of Stonykirk, 1684. 1

Early History of the MacBrayne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacBrayne research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1685 is included under the topic Early MacBrayne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacBrayne Spelling Variations

In various documents MacBrayne has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacBroom, MacBrayne and others.

Early Notables of the MacBrayne family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

Archibald MacBrayne, Islay rebel and Chief of the Clan

MacBrayne migration to the United States +

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:

MacBrayne Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ralph MacBrayne, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1916
Archibald MacBrayne, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name MacBrayne (post 1700) +

David MacBrayne, Scottish merchant and owner of David Hutcheson & Co in 1851 which late became David MacBrayne, a private steamship operator which later merged to become Caledonian MacBrayne (Calmac)

The MacBrayne 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: Fortis ceu leo fidus
Motto Translation: As strong as a dependable lion.

Citations +

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)