Contents [hide]

McKee History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

McKee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

As a native Irish name, McKee is derived from the Gaelic "Mag Aodha," or "son of Hugh," while others of the name in Ireland, are ultimately of Scottish origin.

There are different understandings of the Gaelic origin as another source notes the name is "from the Irish O’Maolgaoithe; a personal name Chief of Muintir Maolgaoithe (gaoth, wind; pronounced ‘ghee’.) " 1

Early Origins of the McKee family

The surname McKee was first found in along the border of counties Donegal and Tyrone (Irish:Tír Eoghain), the ancient territory of the O'Neills, now in the Province of Ulster, central Northern Ireland, where they are thought to be descended from the Colla Uais.

The McKee surname has also been long associated with County Antrim, because of the peninsula at Lough Larne, known as the Island Magee which was part of their early Ulster territories. Before the Norman invasion in the 12th century, a Magee was chief of a Sept in county Westmeath. Today, the name is most common in Ulster; however, most of these bearers are of Scottish descent.

Early History of the McKee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKee research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1717, 1755, 1766, 1821, 1825, 1830, 1831, 1846, 1868, 1880 and 1891 are included under the topic Early McKee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKee Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Magee, Macgee, Mcgee, McGahee, McGhee and others.

Early Notables of the McKee family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKee World Ranking

In the United States, the name McKee is the 699^th most popular surname with an estimated 42,279 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name McKee is ranked the 903^rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,953 people with that name. 3 And in New Zealand, the name McKee is the 604^th popular surname with an estimated 1,193 people with that name. 4 The United Kingdom ranks McKee as 986^th with 7,075 people. 5

McKee migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McKee Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert McKee, who arrived in New England in 1739 6
Hugh McKee, who landed in America in 1795 6

McKee Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nancy McKee, aged 16, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 6
Pat McKee, aged 14, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 6
Agnes McKee, who landed in America in 1804 6
Andrew McKee, who landed in South Carolina in 1807 6
Gabriel McKee, who landed in America in 1811 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKee migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McKee Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John McKee U.E. who settled in Osnabruck [South Stormont], Stormont County, Ontario c. 1784 7
Mr. John McKee U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 7

McKee Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jane McKee, aged 30, who landed in Quebec in 1833
Elenor McKee, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Zephyr" in 1833
Anne McKee, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834
Mary McKee, aged 30, who landed in Quebec in 1834
Rachael McKee, aged 4, who landed in Quebec in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKee migration to Australia +

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

McKee Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Eliza Mckee, (b. 1820), aged 17, Irish maid who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 14 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Hugh McKee, aged 34, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Marion" 9
Jane McKee, aged 21, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
Margaret McKee, aged 18, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
Mary A. McKee, aged 22, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKee 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:

McKee Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

G.J. Mckee, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 10
A.E. Mckee, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 10
J. Mckee, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 10
Mr. Alexander Mckee, (b. 1836), aged 25, Irish farm labourer, from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Stuart" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th October 1861 10
Miss Sarah McKee, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "New Great Britain" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 10th August 1863 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McKee (post 1700) +

General William Fulton McKee (1906-1987), American Vice Chief of Staff of the US Air Force (1962-1964) 12
Brigadier-General John Lloyd McKee (1895-1963), American Assistant Commanding General 87th Division (1942-1945) 13
Colonel Alexander McKee (1735-1799), Irish-born, American agent for the British Indian Department during the French and Indian War, and the American Revolutionary War, eponym of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania
Raymond McKee (1892-1984), American actor from Iowa who appeared in 173 films
Lafayette S. "Lafe" McKee (1872-1959), American actor who appeared in over 400 films
Maria Luisa McKee (b. 1964), American singer and songwriter
Hugh Wilson McKee (1844-1871), American naval officer, eponym of the USS McKee (DD-575), a Fletcher-class destroyer and the USS McKee (DD–87), a Wickes class destroyer
Tywain "Ty" McKee (b. 1986), American professional basketball player
Christopher Fulton McKee (b. 1942), American astrophysicist
Rear Admiral Andrew I. McKee (1896-1976), American submarine pioneer
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McKee family +

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Charles Dennis McKee (1948-1988), American Army Major from Arlington, Virginia, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 14

SS Atlantic

Mr. James McKee, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Mr. Wilham McKee, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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 Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
South Australian Register Tuesday 12th December 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marion 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marion1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, May 9) William McKee. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McKee/William_Fulton/USA.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, May 9) John McKee. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McKee/John_Lloyd/USA.html
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html