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McGuin History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

McGuin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The many centuries old Dalriadan-Scottish name McGuin comes from the Gaelic personal name Eógann, which comes from the Latin name, Eugenius, which means well born. McGuin is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronyms were formed when a son used his father's personal name as a surname, while others came from the personal names of famous religious and secular figures. The McGuin family was established in Scotland, well before the Norman Conquest of England, in 1066.

Euing appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 and may have been derived from Eawa's son. A Eawa was brother of Penda, king of Mercia. 1 However, another source claims the name was a "descendant of Ewen (warrior)." 2

And yet another source claims the name "goes back to the Greek eugenes (wellborn.)" 3

Early Origins of the McGuin family

The surname McGuin was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Dovenaldus Ewain, documented in 1164.

Early History of the McGuin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGuin research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1164, 1178, 1546, 1555, 1598, 1611, 1621, 1633, 1636, 1664, 1678, 1681, 1687, 1717 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McGuin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGuin Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. McGuin has been spelled Ewing, Ewin, Ewen, Ewans, Ewens, Eugene, Ewan and many more.

Early Notables of the McGuin family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGuin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McGuin family to Ireland

Some of the McGuin 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.

McGuin migration to the United States +

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the McGuin family emigrate to North America:

McGuin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Matthew McGuin, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1822 4
Andrew McGuin, aged 22, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1843 4
Catherine McGuin, aged 20, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 4

McGuin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McGuin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Daniel McGuin U.E. who settled in Kingston, Kings County, New Brunswick c. 1784 5
Mr. Patrick McGuin U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 5
Mr. Anthony McGuin U.E. who settled in Kingston, Kings County, New Brunswick c. 1784 5

McGuin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John McGuin, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Cupid" in 1834
Patrick McGuin, aged 19, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Nancy" in 1834

McGuin migration to Australia +

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

McGuin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Mcguin, (b. 1802), aged 36, Irish labourer who was convicted in County Tyrone, Ireland for 14 years for forgery, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 29th December 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1873 6
Mr. John Mcguin, (b. 1826), aged 12, Irish settler traveling with convict father Mr. Michael Mcguin, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 29th December 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Patrick Mcguin, (b. 1828), aged 10, Irish settler traveling with convict father Mr. Michael Mcguin, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 29th December 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Denis McGuin, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "John Bartlett" in 1847 7

McGuin 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:

McGuin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Patrick McGuin, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Countess of Kintore" in 1870

The McGuin 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: Audaciter
Motto Translation: Boldly

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
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
Convict Records Australia. Retrieved on 18th March 2022 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN BARTLETT 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847JohnBartlett.gif