McCombie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The McCombie surname comes from the Gaelic MacComaidh, which is in turn from MacThomaidh or MacThom. The same Gaelic names have often been Anglicized Thomson. 1

Early Origins of the McCombie family

The surname McCombie was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

"The 'b' was introduced into the name about the end of the eighteenth century. MacComy was a common surname in Breadalbana 250 and more years ago. The Glenshee MaacComies date their rise from the latter half of the fourteenth century. They appear as a distinct family in Glenshee in the sixteenth century, and in a feu-charter of the lands of Finnegand and Glenbeg granted in 1571 to John M'Comy Moir they are described as being 'ab antiquo' tenants and possessors of these lands." 1

Early History of the McCombie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCombie research. Another 254 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1508, 1540, 1542, 1556, 1586, 1587, 1595, 1623, 1638, 1644, 1645, 1663, 1696, 1760 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCombie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCombie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacComb, MacCombe, MacCombie, MacCombs, MacCome, MacComie, McCome, McKComb, Mackcome, McComey, Coomey and many more.

Early Notables of the McCombie family

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

Migration of the McCombie family to Ireland

Some of the McCombie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCombie migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCombie Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Samuel McCombie, aged 44, who immigrated to America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1907
Gereld F. McCombie, aged 56, who landed in America from Dublin, Ireland, in 1909
Florence McCombie, aged 34, who settled in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1910
John McCombie, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Lugar, Scotland, in 1910
Jane McCombie, aged 31, who settled in America from Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCombie 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:

McCombie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander Mccombie, British settler arriving as the 1st detachment of Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 2
Mrs. Ellen Mccombie née Scoolan, British settler travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 2

Contemporary Notables of the name McCombie (post 1700) +

William McCombie (1805-1880), Scottish agriculturist
Karen Grace McCombie (b. 1963), Scottish author of children and young adult novels
Andrew "Andy" McCombie (1876-1952), Scottish international footballer
Edward McCombie McGirr, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow

The McCombie 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: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Motto Translation: Don't touch the cat without a glove.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html