McKan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The western coast of Scotland and the desolate Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McKan family. Their name is derived from the given name Ian or John. John is the most common personal name in the Highlands. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Iain.

Early Origins of the McKan family

The surname McKan 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 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 McKan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKan research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1292, 1340, 1618, 1667, 1717, 1777, 1808, 1875 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McKan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McKan has appeared in various documents spelled MacIan, MacAne, MacKane, MacKean, MacKain and others.

Early Notables of the McKan family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Archibald McKain (1717-1777), Scottish Shoemaker and Burgess of Elgin, Morayshire, who became the 15th Chief of MacIain of Ardnamurchan. Also of note was Thomas M'kean of Delaware, one of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence.John Canne (d. 1667?)...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McKan family to Ireland

Some of the McKan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKan migration to the United States +

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name McKan or a variant listed above include:

McKan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick McKan, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from Queenstown, in 1892

McKan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

George McKan, aged 40, who landed in America from Cristobal, Canal Zone, in 1913