Show ContentsMcClean History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie is a branch of the Scottish Clan MacLean. The surname is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Gille Eathain, a patronymic name meaning "son of the servant of Saint John." The Clan is descended from Eachan Reaganach, (brother of Lachlan the progenitor of the Macleans of Duart). These two brothers were both descended from Gilleathain na Tuaidh, known as 'Gillian of the Battleaxe', a famed warrior of the 5th century. Eachan, or Hector was given the lands of Lochbuie from John, the first Lord of the Isles, some time in the 14th century.

Early Origins of the McClean family

The surname McClean was first found in on the Isle of Mull, an island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland.

Early History of the McClean family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McClean research. Another 328 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1386, 1470, 1538, 1645, 1650 and 1687 are included under the topic Early McClean History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McClean Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacLean, MacLain, MacLaine, MacLane, MacLeane, MacClean, MacClain, MacClaine, MacGhille Eoin, Macklin, MacCleane, McKleane, McCleant, McCleind, McCleand, McClaink, McClaing, Cleind, MacClean, McCleen, McCleane, McClean, McClaine, McClain, Macklaim, Leand, Leind, MacClaine, Leane and many more.

Early Notables of the McClean family

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

McClean Ranking

In the United States, the name McClean is the 7,473rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States McClean migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McClean Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander McClean, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1802 2
  • David McClean, aged 24, who arrived in New York, NY in 1803 2
  • George McClean, aged 28, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 2
  • James McClean, aged 60, who arrived in New York, NY in 1803 2
  • Archd McClean, who arrived in America in 1805 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada McClean migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McClean Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John McClean, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mr. Archibald McClean U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 3
  • Mr. Charles McClean U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 3
  • Mr. Donald McClean U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 3
  • Mr. Peter McClean U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 3
McClean Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Malcolm McClean, aged 38, a shepherd, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Dorothy" in 1815
  • Elizabeth McClean, aged 35, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Dorothy" in 1815
  • John McClean, aged 11, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Dorothy" in 1815
  • Alexander McClean/McBean, aged 8, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Dorothy" in 1815
  • Donald McClean/McBean, aged 6, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Dorothy" in 1815
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia McClean migration to Australia +

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

McClean Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward McClean, (b. 1797), aged 33, English groom who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 20th August 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • James McClean, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Nicol" in 1840 5
  • John McClean, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Nicol" in 1840 5
  • William McClean, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Nicol" in 1840 5

New Zealand McClean 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:

McClean Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Ann Mcclean, (b. 1835), aged 27, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 6

Contemporary Notables of the name McClean (post 1700) +

  • Dame Angela Ruth McClean D.B.E., FRS. (b. 1961), British Professor of Mathematical Biology at University of Oxford, was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Mathematical Biology and to Scientific Advice for Government 7
  • Mr. Colin Thomas McClean C.B.E., British Brigadier was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 17th June 2017
  • Christian McClean, English former professional footballer
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Francis Kennedy McClean AFC (1876-1955), English civil engineer and pioneer aviator
  • John Robinson McClean CB FRS (1813-1873), British civil engineer and Liberal Party politician
  • Stacey McClean (b. 1989), English pop singer
  • Warren McClean, Australian drummer for the group I'm Talking 1986 to 1987
  • Sheila McClean, Irish contemporary impressionist painter
  • McClean Stock, American Republican politician, Postmaster at York, Pennsylvania, 1921-25 (acting, 1921-22) 8

North Sea Flood
  • Robert McClean, British worker aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" who survived the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Robert Mcclean, English Plumber from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 9


The McClean 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: Vincere vel mori
Motto Translation: To conquer or die.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WILLIAM NICOL. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840WilliamNichol.htm
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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