McCarter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Scotland

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On the western coast of Scotland and on the Hebrides islands the McCarter family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the Celtic personal name Arthur. It denotes the 'son of arthur', which means noble one.

Early Origins of the McCarter family

The surname McCarter was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McCarter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCarter research. Another 184 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1427, 1767, 1817 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCarter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCarter Spelling Variations

In various documents McCarter has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacArthur, MacArtair, MacArter and many more.

Early Notables of the McCarter family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Alister MacArthur who was beheaded by James I in 1427; and John MacArthur of the Strachur branch (1767) who journeyed to Australia with the 102nd Regiment. He became actively involved in the development...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCarter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCarter Ranking

In the United States, the name McCarter is the 2,778^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Migration of the McCarter family to Ireland

Some of the McCarter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCarter migration to the United States +

Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name McCarter or a variant listed above:

McCarter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert McCarter, who arrived in Maryland in 1659 2

McCarter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah McCarter, who landed in New England in 1729 2
John McCarter, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 2

McCarter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James McCarter, aged 20, who arrived in Maryland in 1813 2
Miles McCarter, aged 35, who arrived in America in 1822 2
Nance McCarter, aged 33, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1851 2
Arthur McCarter, who arrived in New York in 1851 2
Cornelia McCarter, who landed in New York in 1851 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCarter Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Edward McCarter, aged 14, who landed in America from Glasgow, in 1901
James McCarter, aged 29, who immigrated to America from Barrow, England, in 1907
Joseph McCarter, aged 2, who immigrated to the United States from Donegal, Ireland, in 1908
Barbara McCarter, aged 31, who landed in America from Donegal, Ireland, in 1908
Eliza N. McCarter, aged 53, who landed in America, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCarter migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCarter Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Robert McCarter U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 3

McCarter Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles McCarter, aged 37 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Britannia" departing from the port of Greenock, Scotland but died on Grosse Isle on 29th August 1847 4
Mrs. Mary McCarter, aged 38 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Lord Ashburton" departing 13th September 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 1st November 1847 but she died on board 5

McCarter migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McCarter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Duncan McCarter, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Dennis McCarter who was convicted in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7

McCarter migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

McCarter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. David McCarter, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mariner" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd June 1859 8
Miss Isabella Mccarter, (b. 1846), aged 22, British dairymaid travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th January1869 8

Contemporary Notables of the name McCarter (post 1700) +

Willie J. McCarter (1946-2023), American NBA basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers (1969-1971)
Brooke McCarter (1963-2015), American actor of film and television
Lloyd G. McCarter (1917-1956), American Private in the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, awarded the Medal of Honor
Thomas N. McCarter (1867-1955), American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of New Jersey
Kyle McCarter, Republican member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 51st district since February 2009
Gordon McCarter (d. 2002), American football official in the National Football League (NFL)
Robert H. McCarter (1859-1941), American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of New Jersey
Brigadier George Arnold McCarter (b. 1896), Canadian Commanding Officer 16th Canadian Brigade 9
Billy McCarter (b. 1888), Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the VFL
Harold McCarter Taylor (1907-1995), New Zealand-born British mathematician, theoretical physicist and historian of architecture

Historic Events for the McCarter family +

The McCarter 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: Fide et opera
Motto Translation: By fidelity and work.