Contents [hide]

Mackinnon History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

MacKinnon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

MacKinnon comes from the ancient Dalriadan clans of Scotland's west coast and Hebrides islands. The name comes from the Gaelic personal name Findgaine. This is derived from the earlier forms Finghin and Finnguine. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Fhionghuin or Mac Fhionnghain.

Early Origins of the MacKinnon family

The surname MacKinnon was first found in on the Isles of Mull and Skye, where they held a family seat from early times. This distinguished Scottish Clan descended from Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scotland who died in the 9th century and were part of the Siol Alpin, a group of Clans descended from the King. They held lands in Mull, Skye and Iona, and were long time Abbots of Iona. They were connected with the MacDonalds and other Alpin Clans such as the MacNabs and the MacGregors. The Clan was present at the Battle of Inverlochy under the Montrose and being of royalist influence they supported King Charles at Worcester. Again in 1745 in Culloden they supported the Stuarts and the Chief was imprisoned in London in the Tower.

Early History of the MacKinnon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacKinnon research. Another 319 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1409, 1467, 1495, 1506, 1536, 1545, 1557, 1560, 1577, 1586, 1609, 1621, 1662, 1673, 1675, 1681, 1745, 1789, 1791, 1804, 1808, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1826, 1829, 1830, 1836, 1870 and 1884 are included under the topic Early MacKinnon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacKinnon Spelling Variations

The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years MacKinnon has appeared as MacKinnon, MacKinning, MacInnon, MacKinnen, MacFingon and many more.

Early Notables of the MacKinnon family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

Daniel MacKinnon (1791-1836), colonel and historian of the Coldstream guards, born in 1791, was son of William Mackinnon, chief of the Clan Mackinnon. William Alexander Mackinnon (1789-1870) was his e...
On 16 June 1804 he was appointed ensign in the Coldstream guards, in which his uncle, Henry Mackinnon, author of 'A Journal of the Campaign in Portugal and Spain' (1812), who fell as a major-general a...

MacKinnon Ranking

In the United States, the name MacKinnon is the 8,717^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name MacKinnon is ranked the 352^nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,923 people with that name. 2

MacKinnon migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name MacKinnon or a variant listed above:

MacKinnon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Mackinnon, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1770 3
Archibald MacKinnon, who settled in Georgia in 1775 with his wife Janet and brother George

MacKinnon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peggy Mackinnon, who arrived in America in 1838 3

MacKinnon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

MacKinnon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John MacKinnon, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1767
Emily MacKinnon, who settled in Prince Edward Island in 1774
Alex. MacKinnon, who arrived in Prince Edward Island in 1790
Ann Mackinnon, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1797

MacKinnon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Donald Mackinnon, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1817
Hector and Catherine MacKinnon, and their children who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1828

MacKinnon migration to Australia +

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

MacKinnon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Mackinnon, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Agnus MacKinnon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 5
John Mackinnon, aged 28, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Switzerland"
John Mackinnon, aged 53, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Royal Albert"
Roderick Mackinnon, aged 48, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Royal Albert"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

MacKinnon 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:

MacKinnon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

A W MacKinnon, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
Sarah MacKinnon, aged 35, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Christian McAusland" in 1875
Alexander MacKinnon, aged 13, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Christian McAusland" in 1875
Betsy MacKinnon, aged 12, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Christian McAusland" in 1875
Charles MacKinnon, aged 10, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Christian McAusland" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name MacKinnon (post 1700) +

Bob MacKinnon (1927-2015), American collegiate and professional basketball coach, inductee into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame (1995)
Roderick MacKinnon (b. 1956), American scientist, professor of Molecular Neurobiology and Biophysics at Rockefeller University, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Catharine Alice MacKinnon (b. 1946), American feminist, scholar, lawyer, teacher and activist
Louis P. MacKinnon, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Berlin 3rd Ward, 1938 6
John C. MacKinnon, American Republican politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Oxford County (2nd), 1931-32 6
James Simpson MacKinnon (b. 1897), American Republican politician, Member of Alaska territorial House of Representatives 1st District, 1951-52 6
George Edward MacKinnon (1906-1995), American Republican politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives, 1935-42 6
Daniel F. MacKinnon, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Connecticut 6th District, 1978 6
Clinton F. MacKinnon, American politician, First Selectman of East Lyme, Connecticut, 1947-49, 1954-55 6
Arthur W. MacKinnon, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1944 6
... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the MacKinnon family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Murdo MacKinnon (1918-1941), Australian Petty Officer from Wellard, Western Australia, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 7

HMS Royal Oak

Donald Mackinnon (1922-1939), British Boy 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 8

The MacKinnon 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: Audentes fortuna juvat
Motto Translation: Fortune favours the bold

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
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 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE - 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Constance.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html