McNairy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Picts of ancient Scotland were the tribe of the ancestors of the McNairy family. The name McNairy is derived from the personal name John. The Gaelic form of their name was originally Mac-Iain-uidhir, which means son of dun John. However, the McNairy family of Perth traditionally derive their name from M'an-oighre, which means son of the heir. Experts have also theorized that the surname McNairy may be derived from Mac-an-fhuibir, which means son of the smith, or Mac-an-huidhir, which means son of the stranger.

Early Origins of the McNairy family

The surname McNairy was first found in Perth, 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.

Further to the south in England, the Menaire, Menear, Manhire and other variants claim descent from Walter Maenhir who was listed in Devon in 1293. The very rare variant Manhire traces back to Ellis Menheire who was listed in Devon in 1642. 1

Early History of the McNairy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNairy research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1392, 1526, 1546, 1776 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McNairy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McNairy Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages did not have access to a set of spelling rules. They spelled according to sound, the result was a great number of spelling variations. In various documents, McNairy has been spelled MacNair, MacNaire, MacNayer, MacNeir, MacNuir, Menair and many more.

Early Notables of the McNairy family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McNairy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McNairy family to Ireland

Some of the McNairy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 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 McNairy family

The cruelties suffered under the new government forced many to leave their ancient homeland for the freedom of the North American colonies. Those who arrived safely found land, freedom, and opportunity for the taking. These hardy settlers gave their strength and perseverance to the young nations that would become the United States and Canada. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the name McNairy: John McNair, a Highland Scott, from Kilkenny, Argyll, came to America in 1770 with his 2 surviving children and settled in Robeson County, North Carolina.

Contemporary Notables of the name McNairy (post 1700) +

Philip Frederick McNairy (1911-1989), American cleric, the Sixth Bishop of Minnesota in The Episcopal Church
John Marcus "Scoot" McNairy (b. 1977), American Screen Actors Guild Award winning actor and producer, known for 12 Years a Slave (2013), Argo (2012) and Monsters (2010)
Mark McNairy (b. 1961), American fashion designer, known for his eponymous line Mark McNairy New Amsterdam
John McNairy (1762-1837), American jurist, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Tennessee (1797-1802), eponym of McNairy County, Tennessee
W. K. McNairy, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1924 2
Leigh Harvey McNairy, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from North Carolina 3rd District, 2000 2
John McNairy (1762-1837), American politician, U.S. District Judge for Tennessee, 1797 2

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html