McTernan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

The original Gaelic versions of today's Irish names demonstrate a proud, ancient past. The original Gaelic form of the name McTernan is Mac Tighearnain, which is derived from the word tighearna, which means "lord."

Early Origins of the McTernan family

The surname McTernan was first found in County Cavan, at Tullyhunco where the "Annals of the Four Masters" show no fewer than 33 Tiernans. Almost all were Chiefs of Teallach Donnchadha. Despite their high ranking, their exploits were not well documented from 1250-1550. One must presume that they ruled with compassion and understanding and were amiable to their fellow man. The "Mac" prefix of the name is typically spelt "MacTernan" or "McTernan" and is usually found in the Cavan-Leitrim area of Ireland.

Ternan or Terrenan (d. 431?), was Archbishop of the Picts. "According to his legend he went to Rome, where he spent seven years under the care of the pope, was appointed archbishop of the Picts, and returned to Scotland with the usual accompaniment of miraculous adventures. He died and was buried at Banchory on the river Dee, which was named from him Banchory Ternan. His day in the calendar is 12 June, and the years given for his death vary from 431 to 455. " 1

Early History of the McTernan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McTernan research. Another 40 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1800 is included under the topic Early McTernan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McTernan Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname McTernan can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Tiernan, Tierman, Ternan, Kiernan and others.

Early Notables of the McTernan family

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

McTernan migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name McTernan to North America:

McTernan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bridget McTernan, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 2
Mary McTernan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 2

McTernan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McTernan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miss. Mary McTernan, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Charles Richard" departing 27th May 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 16th July 1847 but she died on board 3

Contemporary Notables of the name McTernan (post 1700) +

John McTernan, American-born, Australian Logie Award winning actor
Brian McTernan, American record producer in Baltimore, Maryland
John McTernan, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 2nd District, 1880-81 4
Hugh A. McTernan, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 1st District, 1890 4
Francis J. McTernan Jr., American politician, Representative from California 4th District, 1948 4
John McTernan (b. 1959), British politician, political strategist and commentator

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 89)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html