McGan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English, McGan appeared as Mac Cana, which is derived from the word cana, which means wolf cub.
Early Origins of the McGan family
The surname McGan 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
Early History of the McGan family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGan research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1155, 1598 and 1718 are included under the topic Early McGan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McGan Spelling Variations
Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the McGan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including MacCann, MacCanna, MacCan, MacAnn, MacAn and others.
Early Notables of the McGan family
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McGan migration to the United States +
During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the McGan family in North America:
McGan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Elinor McGan, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 2
- Elizabeth McGan, aged 30, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 2
- John McGan, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 2
- Sarah McGan, aged 2, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 2
- James McGan, aged 55, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
McGan migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
McGan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Alexander McGan, aged 11, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Duchess of Northumberland"
McGan 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:
McGan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mary McGan, aged 31, a cook, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dunedin" in 1875 3
The McGan 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: Crescit sub pondere virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue thrives under oppression.
Citations +
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
- 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 9th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html