McKissick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The old Scottish-Dalriadan name McKissick is derived from the personal name Isaac. The Gaelic forms of the name are Mac Isaac or Mac Iosaig, both of which mean son of Isaac. 1

Early Origins of the McKissick family

The surname McKissick was first found in Inverness, where one of the first records of the family was in 1476 when "the lands of Ardere in the barony of Clastray were resigned by Mariot, daughter of Molmoria M'Kesek." 1

Spelling variations for the family are quite varied: Mackessack, Mackissack, Mackissock, Mackissek, Makesaig (1592), Makkessake (1591), McKisack (1684) and many more.

In 1496, Donald Makessaig was recorded at Kilmun and he is probably the Donald McEsayg recorded in 1511. "John M'Intheir was convicted in 1623 for letting M'Keissik's 'bairnis the for hunger' in Breadalbane (BRT., p. 379 -there was probably a famine). Marion MacKissock was resident in the parish of Boyne, 1684, Elspet M'Kissick in Relliclone, parish of Madertie, 1658 (Dunkeld)." 1

Early History of the McKissick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKissick research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1685 and 1871 are included under the topic Early McKissick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKissick Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of McKissick include MacIsaac, MacIsaack, Kissock and others.

Early Notables of the McKissick family

More information is included under the topic Early McKissick Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKissick Ranking

In the United States, the name McKissick is the 7,738^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

McKissick migration to the United States +

These settlers arrived in North America at a time when the east was burgeoning with prosperous colonies and the expanses of the west were just being opened up. The American War of Independence was also imminent. Some Scots stayed to fight for a new country, while others who remained loyal went north as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of them went on to rediscover their heritage in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic Scottish events. The McKissick were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

McKissick Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jedidiah Zebediah McKissick, who landed in Maine in 1768 3

Contemporary Notables of the name McKissick (post 1700) +

Floyd Bixler McKissick (1922-1991), the first African American student at the University of North Carolina, American civil rights advocate and author
Floyd B. McKissick Jr. (b. 1952), American North Carolina attorney and member of the North Carolina Senate, son of Floyd Bixler McKissick
Thomas McKissick Jones (1816-1892), American prominent Tennessee politician
John McKissick (b. 1926), American high school football coach, the first coach to win 600 career games, inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in 1990

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)