Macken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland
Wales

The Welsh Macken surname is thought to derived from name of the village of Machen, located near Caerphilly, in the county of Monmouthshire.

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Matthew.' 1

Early Origins of the Macken family

The surname Macken was first found in Monmouthshire (Welsh: Sir Fynwy), at Machen, a parish, in the union of Newport, partly in the hundred of Wentlloog, South Wales. 2

Early History of the Macken family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Macken research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1600, 1614 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Macken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Macken Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Macken has seen various spelling variations: Machen, Machin, Machon, Mackon, Makin, Makins, MacMacken and many more.

Early Notables of the Macken family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Thomas Machen (c. 1541-1614), an English mercer who was mayor of Gloucester three times, Member of Parliament for Gloucester in 1614; Bathsua Reginald Makin (c.1600-c.1675) English middle-class proto-feminist who...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Macken Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Macken family to Ireland

Some of the Macken family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Macken migration to the United States +

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Macken:

Macken Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Macken, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1651 3
William Macken, who arrived in America in 1652 3

Macken Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cath Macken, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1854 3
Hugh, Michael, Patrick, Thomas, and William Macken also, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860

Macken migration to Australia +

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

Macken Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Macken, (b. 1817), aged 21, Irish labourer who was convicted in Monaghan, Ireland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Macken (post 1700) +

Francis Macken, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Essex County, 1868-69 5
Daniel E. Macken, American Republican politician, Justice of New York Supreme Court 7th District; Elected 1960 5
Anthony "Tony" Macken (b. 1950), Irish former professional footballer
Fidelma O'Kelly Macken (b. 1942), Irish retired judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland (2005-2012), Judge of the European Court of Justice (2004-2005)
Tara Macken, Kuwait-born, stunt woman and actress, known for her work on The Mentalist, Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3 and many more
Peter Neville Macken (b. 1938), Australian modern pentathlete and fencer, five-time Olympian
Walter Macken (1915-1967), Irish writer of short stories, novels and plays
Eoin Christopher Macken (b. 1983), Irish actor, film maker and model
Eddie Macken (b. 1949), Irish three-time silver equestrian show jumper, former Olympian
Brendan Macken (b. 1991), Irish rugby player
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html