Show ContentsMcCormick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The chronicles of the McCormick family indicate that the name was first used by the Strathclyde Britons of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the Gaelic name MacChormaig, which derives from the given name Cormac, meaning charioteer.

Early Origins of the McCormick family

The surname McCormick was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, 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 McCormick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCormick research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1132, 1733, 1750, 1756, 1757, 1758, 1794, 1799, 1811, 1865 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCormick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCormick Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. McCormick has been spelled MacCormack, MacCormick, MacCormock, McCormick, McCormack, McCormock, Maccormick, Maccormack, Maccormock, McArmick, McCarmick, McCarmike, McKermick, Makarmik, McCornick, Cornick, Cormack, M'Kernock, MacCornack and many more.

Early Notables of the McCormick family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Joseph MacCormick (1733-1799), Scottish divine, son of John Maccormick, a minister at St. Andrews, born in that town 22 Jan. 1733. He graduated M.A. at St. Andrews University in 1750 and was granted a bursary in theology from the university exchequer in the same year. After serving for some years...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCormick Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCormick World Ranking

In the United States, the name McCormick is the 449th most popular surname with an estimated 62,175 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name McCormick is ranked the 779th most popular surname with an estimated 6,902 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name McCormick is the 905th popular surname with an estimated 4,344 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks McCormick as 447th with 1,531 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks McCormick as 715th with 9,413 people. 5

Ireland Migration of the McCormick family to Ireland

Some of the McCormick family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 200 words (14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McCormick migration to the United States +

Unwelcome in their beloved homeland, many Scots sailed for the colonies of North America. There, they found land and freedom, and even the opportunity to make a new nation in the American War of Independence. These Scottish settlers played essential roles in the founding of the United States, and the shaping of contemporary North America. Among them:

McCormick Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas McCormick, who arrived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1734 6
McCormick Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry McCormick, who landed in America in 1806 6
  • Richard McCormick, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1808 6
  • Robert McCormick, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1812 6
  • Samuel McCormick, aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
  • Bernard McCormick, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada McCormick migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCormick Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Duncan McCormick, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Sarah McCormick, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mr. Alexander McCormick U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
  • Alexander McCormick is registered as a United Empire Loyalist
McCormick Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Phillip McCormick, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
  • Henery McCormick, aged 20, who arrived in Quebec in 1833
  • John McCormick, aged 25, a servant, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Sea Horse" from Galway, Ireland
  • Bridget McCormick, aged 40, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
  • Michael McCormick, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia McCormick migration to Australia +

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

McCormick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John McCormick, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Patrick Mccormick, (b. 1792), aged 27, English baker who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancastershire, England for 14 years for forgery, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Philip Mccormick, (b. 1798), aged 22, Irish weaver who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Miss Mary Mccormick, (b. 1805), aged 21, Irish servant who was convicted in Londonderry, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Mr. Boyd McCormick, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand McCormick 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:

McCormick Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Michael McCormick, aged 29, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1842 12
  • Johanna McCormick, aged 31, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1842 12
  • Michael McCormick, aged 7, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1842 12
  • Ann McCormick, aged 3, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1842 12
  • Bridget McCormick, aged 1, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1842 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCormick (post 1700) +

  • Patricia Joan Keller "Pat" McCormick (1930-2023), American seven-time gold medalist competitive diver, winner of the James E. Sullivan Award for best amateur athlete in the US in 1956 – the second woman to do so
  • Thomas Ferguson "Tom" McCormick (1926-2022), American politician who served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives
  • Gayle McCormick (1948-2016), American singer, best known for her work with the rock band Smith
  • Robert "Mack" McCormick (1930-2015), American musicologist and folklorist
  • Brigadier-General John Halliday McCormick (1903-1992), American Chief of Staff, 12th Air Force (1948-1949) 13
  • Alexander Agnew McCormick Jr. (1897-1918), American officer in the United States Navy, recipient of the Navy Cross, eponym of the USS McCormick (DD-223)
  • Dick McCormick (b. 1968), American soccer midfielder and current youth soccer coach
  • William Joseph "Barry" McCormick (1874-1956), American professional baseball player and later a major league umpire
  • William "Bill" P. McCormick (b. 1939), American businessman and diplomat
  • Harold Fowler McCormick Sr. (1872-1941), American chairman of the board of International Harvester Company
  • ... (Another 131 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Arrow Air Flight 1285
  • Mr. J Scott McCormick (1961-1985), American Second Lieutenant from Bristol, Tennessee, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 14
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Samuel Mccormick, British Boy, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. James Mccormick, Irish Fireman from Cork, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 16
  • Mr. Thomas Mccormick, Irish 3rd Class passenger returning from Nashua, New Hampshire, USA going to Ireland, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 17


Suggested Readings for the name McCormick +

  • McCormick Genealogy with Related Families by B. Dottie McCormick Perkins.
  • Determined Lives: A Family Odyssey by Edgar L. McCormick.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. 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)
  7. 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
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, February 12) John McCormick. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McCormick/John_Halliday/USA.html
  14. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
  15. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  16. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  17. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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