| {{ad}} |
|
|
|
| Origins Available: |
| | Ireland |
Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English, MacAn appeared as Mac Cana, which is derived from the word cana, which means wolf cub.
The surname MacAn was first found in County Armagh (Irish: Ard Mhacha) located in the province of Ulster in present day Northern Ireland, at Clanbrasil, a region on the southern shore of Lough Neagh.
The family supplanted the O'Graveys at the time of Strongbow's Anglo-Norman invasion in 1172 as lords of this area and became known as the Lords of Clanbrassil. One of the earliest records of the name was Amhlaibh Mc Canna (died 1155), described by the Four Masters as "pillar of chivalry and vigour of Cinel Eoghin" 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacAn research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1155, 1598 and 1718 are included under the topic Early MacAn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
A name was often recorded during the Middle Ages under several different spelling variations during the life of its bearer because literacy was rare there was no real push to clearly define any of the languages found in the British Isles at that time. Variations found of the name MacAn include MacCann, MacCanna, MacCan, MacAnn, MacAn and others.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacAn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the MacAn family came to North America quite early: