| ![Show Contents]() McCalla History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Many variations of the name McCalla have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Amhalghaidh or Mac Amhlaoibh. The former name denotes a son of Auley, while the later denotes a son of Auliffe or a son of Humphrey. They claim descent through the Heremon line of Irish kings. 1 Early Origins of the McCalla familyThe surname McCalla was first found in county Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where at one time the area which is now Ballyloughnoe was once called "McGawley's Country." There is another sept named Mac Amhlaoibh in Gaelic which were a branch of the MacGuires and mainly found in County Fermanagh. This branch gave their name to Clanawley. 2 Early History of the McCalla familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCalla research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1787 and 1841 are included under the topic Early McCalla History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McCalla Spelling VariationsPeople who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname McCalla that are preserved in archival documents are MacAulay, MacAwley, MacAuley, MacAullay, MacAulley, MacAwlay, MacCaulay, MacCawley, MacGawley, Magawley, Cauley, Caulay, McCamley and many more. Early Notables of the McCalla familyAnother 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCalla Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McCalla RankingIn the United States, the name McCalla is the 7,956th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3
 McCalla migration to the United States | + |
Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the McCalla name:
McCalla Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John McCalla, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
McCalla Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- William Mc Calla, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Royal George" from Liverpool, England 5
- Lucy I. M. McCalla, aged 24, originally from Chichester, Jamaica, West Ind., who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Santa Marta" from Kingston, Jamaica 5
- Annie McCalla, aged 21, originally from Kingston, Jamaica, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Caldas" from Kingston, Jamaica 5
- Jemima Mc Calla, aged 23, arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "America" from Southampton, England 5
- Samuel John McCalla, aged 17, originally from Belfast, Ireland, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Columbia" from Londonderry, Ireland 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name McCalla (post 1700) | + |
- Nellie Elizabeth "Irish" McCalla (1928-2002), American actress and artist
- Rear Admiral Bowman H. McCalla (1844-1910), United States Navy officer noted for his roles in the Spanish-American War and putting down the Boxer Rebellion
- William McCalla (1814-1849), Irish botanist
- Noel McCalla (b. 1956), British rock singer, lead vocalist for the rock group Manfred Mann's Earth Band from 1991 until September 2009
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
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McCalla migration to the United States 
Ireland
Scotland
