Show ContentsMacNammart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Surnames of Irish origin have experienced many changes in their spellings and forms. Before being translated into English, MacNammart appeared as Mac Conmara, which means "hound of the sea" or "warrior of the sea."

Early Origins of the MacNammart family

The surname MacNammart 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.

Early History of the MacNammart family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacNammart research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1402, 1426, 1768, 1797 and 1826 are included under the topic Early MacNammart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacNammart Spelling Variations

Official documents, crafted by early scribes and church officials, primarily contained names that were spelled according to their pronunciation. This lead to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating an illusion that a single person was many people. Among the many spelling variations of the surname MacNammart that are preserved in the archival documents of the time are McNamara, McNamar, McNamarra, McNamard, Sheedy and many more.

Early Notables of the MacNammart family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacNammart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacNammart family

The 18th and 19th centuries saw many Irish families immigrate to North America in search of land and opportunities. The largest influx of Irish immigrants to the United States and British North America came during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine laid waste to their homeland. Hundreds of thousands left the island in an attempt to escape the starvation and disease it brought. Although the arrival of such a large number of destitute Irish was not welcomed by the established population in the United States and what would become known as Canada at the time, these Irish were an essential element to the rapid development of these growing industrial nations. They filled the demand for the cheap labor needed for the work in factories and in the construction of bridges, roads, canals, and railways. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many immigrants bearing the name of MacNammart or one of its variants: 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..



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