McAttyr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The western coast of Scotland and the desolate Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McAttyr family. Their name is derived from the Gaelic form Mac-an-Tsaoir, which denotes son of the carpenter or wright.

Early Origins of the McAttyr family

The surname McAttyr was first found in on the Isle of Iona, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McAttyr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McAttyr research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1372, 1564 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McAttyr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McAttyr Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McAttyr has appeared in various documents spelled MacAteer, MacTear, MacTeir, MacTire, MacAtee, MacAtter, MacAttur and many more.

Early Notables of the McAttyr family

More information is included under the topic Early McAttyr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McAttyr family to Ireland

Some of the McAttyr family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McAttyr family

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name McAttyr or a variant listed above include: William MacAteer settled in Pennsylvania in 1772; Edward MacAtee settled in Philadelphia in 1864; Mark MacAtter settled in New York in 1811; James MacAttur settled in New York in 1811.

The McAttyr 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: Per ardua
Motto Translation: Through difficulties.