Surnames of Irish origin have experienced many changes in their spellings and forms. Before being translated into English, MacNama appeared as Mac Conmara, which means "hound of the sea" or "warrior of the sea."
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Early Origins of the MacNama family
The surname MacNama was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where MacConmara or MacNamara was chief of the territory of Clan Caisin, now the barony of Tullagh. The family was also sometimes styled chiefs of Clan Cuilean; derived from Cuilean, one of their chiefs in the eighth century. This ancient family have traditionally held the high office of hereditary marshals of Thomond.
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Early History of the MacNama family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacNama research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1402, 1426, 1768, 1797 and 1826 are included under the topic Early MacNama History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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MacNama Spelling Variations
Irish names recorded during the Middle Ages are characterized by many spelling variations. This preponderance of variations for common names can be explained by the fact that the scribes and church officials that kept records during that period individually decided how to capture one's name. These recorders primarily based their decisions on how the name was pronounced or what it meant. Research into the name MacNama revealed many variations, including McNamara, McNamar, McNamarra, McNamard, Sheedy and many more.
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Early Notables of the MacNama family
Notable amongst the family name at this time was
Francis Macnamara was listed as a Representative of the People in the Irish House of Commons in 1797(IP)
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Migration of the MacNama family
Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name MacNama: Augustine McNamara who arrived in St. John's Newfoundland in 1794; Bridget, Elizabeth, James, John, Martin, Mathew, Michael, Patrick, Timothy and William McNamara, who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..
Ireland
