Show ContentsMcLagen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name McLagen come from the proud Boernician clans of the Scottish-English border region. The McLagen family lived in Logan, near Auchinleck. These place names derive from the Gaelic word lagan, from lag meaning "a hollow." 1

Early Origins of the McLagen family

The surname McLagen was first found in Ayrshire where they first appeared in the records in the village of Logan in 1204. A number of Logans swore an oath of allegiance to Edward I of England when he conquered Scotland in 1296: Thurbrend Logan (Lord of Crougar), Lord of Crougar in Cunningham; Phillip Logan of Montrose; Walter Logan of Lanarkshire; and Andrew Logan of Wigtown. 1

In 1329, Sir Robert Logan and Sir Walter Logan were killed in Spain while accompanying Sir James Douglas to the Holy Land with the heart of Bruce (thus the Clan's Crest). They were attempting to fulfill Robert the Bruce's request to have his heart buried in the Holy Land.

Early History of the McLagen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McLagen research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1424, 1555, 1573, 1606, 1609, 1635, 1653, 1665, 1669, 1671, 1674, 1688, 1699, 1700, 1701, 1712, 1718, 1729, 1730, 1733, 1736, 1740, 1751, 1776, 1778, 1784, 1798, 1814, 1817, 1842, 1851, 1875 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McLagen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McLagen Spelling Variations

Spelling rules had not yet evolved in medieval Scotland, some names dating from that era often appear many different ways. Some spelling variations of McLagen include Logan, Loggan, Loganaich, MacLennan and many more.

Early Notables of the McLagen family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was James Logan (1674-1751), William Penn's agent in America and man of science, born at his father's house at Lurgan, co. Armagh, 20 Oct. 1674, was son of Patrick Logan, a grandson of Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig. He came to know Penn, who persuaded him to accompany him to Pennsylvania as his secretary. They sailed in September, and landed in Philadelphia in December 1699, and Logan lived in the same house in Second Street with Penn until the latter in 1701 finally returned to England. Logan was then made secretary to...
Another 209 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McLagen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the McLagen family to Ireland

Some of the McLagen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 95 words (7 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 McLagen family

The Boernician-Scottish people who came to North America were often nearly penniless when they arrived, and brought very few personal effects with them. Much Scottish heritage was lost in the process, and it is only this century that highland games, Clan societies, and other patriotic Scottish organizations have helped the ancestors of Scots to rediscover their national legacy. McLagens were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: David Logan who settled in Virginia in 1740; John Logan with his wife and two children settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1765; Andrew, Bernard, David, George, Hugh, James, John, Patrick, Robert, Samuel and William Logan, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.



The McLagen 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: Hoc majorum virtus
Motto Translation: This is the valour of my ancestors.


  1. 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)


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