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![Show Contents]() McGauley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
McGauley comes from Scottish naming traditions. The ancestors of the surname lived among the Boernicians of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name is derived from the son of Amalghaidh, (an old Irish personal name). The distinguished name McGauley is derived from the Gaelic name MacAmhalghaidh and was generally found in Dumbartonshire. Alternatively, the name could have come from the Gaelic name MacAmhlaibh or MacAmhaidh, which means son of Amlaib and in this case, the name was originally derived from the Norse King Olafr. This latter branch was generally found in the Hebrides. Early Origins of the McGauley familyThe surname McGauley was first found in at Ardencaple, in Dumbartonshire. Ardencaple "cape of the horses," was the ancestral home of the Lairds of Ardencaple and is located on the shores of the Gare Loch, in the historical district of Lennox, county Dumbarton. They were one of the Clans of MacAlpine. The history of the MacAulay Clan is particularly complex as there are two distinct branches, in addition to an infusion of MacAulays during the reign of Robert the Bruce. The name of Aulay, brother of the Earl of Lennox, is found on the Ragman Rolls, which confirms his pledge of allegiance to King Edward I of England. This branch entered into a bond of manrent with MacGregor of Glenstrae in 1591. The second branch of this Clan is that of the MacAulays of the Isle of Lewis. These Clansmen claimed descent from Aula (Olaf the Black), who was a thirteenth-century king of the Isles. Their lands were traditional centered around Uig. This branch was probably related to the numerous MacAulays of Ross and Sutherland. Finally, some members of a branch of the MacAulay Clann from Ireland were invited by Robert the Bruce to Scotland to help in his wars against the English. These last MacAulays may be ancient relatives to those of Ardincaple, Dumbartonshire. It was some while later that the MacAulays were first recognized as a Clan. Early History of the McGauley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGauley research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1767 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McGauley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McGauley Spelling VariationsBefore the first dictionaries and printing presses went into use in the last few hundred years, spelling, particularly of names, was a largely intuitive matter. Consequently, many spelling variations occur in even the simplest names from the Middle Ages. McGauley has been spelled MacAuly, MacAwley, MacAuley, MacAullay, MacAulley, MacAwlay, MacCaulay, MacCawley, MacGawley, Magawley, Cauley, Caulay, McCamley and many more. Early Notables of the McGauley familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was the 'MacCawlis' who appear on the roll of Broken Clans in 1595. Their fortunes fell, the last of their lands of...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGauley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the McGauley family to Ireland
Some of the McGauley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 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 McGauley familyThe east coasts of the United States and Canada are still populated by many of the descendents of the Boernician-Scottish families who made that great crossing. They distributed themselves evenly when they first arrived, but at the time of the War of Independence those who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. This century, many of their ancestors have recovered their past heritage through highland games and other Scottish functions in North America. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that many immigrants bearing the name McGauley or a variant listed above: Andrew MacAuly who landed in Potomac Maryland in 1730; James MacCauley who landed in Charles Town in 1772 with his wife; Kenneth MacAulay who landed in Philadelphia in 1774.
| Contemporary Notables of the name McGauley (post 1700) | + |
- Pat McGauley (b. 1961), retired American soccer player
- Shannon McGauley (b. 1963), American co-founder, spokesman, and president of the Texas Minuteman Project
- Walter G. McGauley, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, 1925 1
- Thomas F. McGauley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1912 1
- Thomas McGauley (b. 1978), Irish footballer
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: Dulce Periculum
Motto Translation: Danger is sweet
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Ireland
Scotland
England
