| ![Show Contents]() MacClean History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the MacClean family come from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The family name comes from a devotion to St. John. The surname is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Gille Eathain, a patronymic name meaning "son of the servant of Saint John." The Clan is descended from Eachan Reaganach, (brother of Lachlan the progenitor of the Macleans of Duart). These two brothers were both descended from Gilleathain na Tuaidh, known as 'Gillian of the Battleaxe', a famed warrior of the 5th century. Eachan, or Hector was given the lands of Lochbuie from John, the first Lord of the Isles, some time in the 14th century. Early Origins of the MacClean familyThe surname MacClean was first found in the Western Isles where the Clan held extensive lands on almost every island in the Western Hebrides. Early History of the MacClean familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacClean research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1310, 1320, 1370, 1411, 1500, 1560, 1582, 1604, 1620, 1630, 1645, 1649, 1650, 1651, 1658, 1666, 1670, 1674, 1687, 1716, 1745 and 1890 are included under the topic Early MacClean History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. MacClean Spelling VariationsHistorical recordings of the name MacClean 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 MacLean, MacLaine, MacLane, MacLeane, MacClean, MacClain, MacClaine, MacGhille Eoin (Gaelic) and many more. Early Notables of the MacClean familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was Hector MacLean, Lord of Dowart (c.1560-c.1630), Scottish Lord of the Clan MacLean; Francis Cleyn (Clein, Franz Klein) (c. 1582-1658), a painter and tapestry designer; Sir John Maclean, 1st Baronet, (1604-1666); Sir Hector Maclean, 2nd Baronet of Morvern (c.1620-1651), the 18th Clan Chief of Clan Maclean from 1649 to 1651...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacClean Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the MacClean family to Ireland
Some of the MacClean family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| MacClean migration to the United States | + |
Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name MacClean or a variant listed above:
MacClean Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Hugh Macclean, who landed in Maryland in 1747 1
MacClean Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- David MacClean, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 1
- James MacClean, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 1
- M MacClean, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 1
| MacClean migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: MacClean Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Robert MacClean, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "David Lyon" on 29th April 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2
- Mr. Israel Macclean, (b. 1811), aged 32, English convict who was convicted in Maidstone, Kent, England for 14 years transported aboard the "Forfarshire" on 24th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1881 3
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: Virtue mine honour
Motto Translation: Virtue is my honour.
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-lyon
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forfarshire
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MacClean migration to the United States 
MacClean migration to Australia 
Scotland-Alt
Ireland
