McGrane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The forbears of the name McGrane are thought to be of the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The name indicates that the first bearer lived on the island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides. The name is derived from Gaelic Mac Crain. 1
Early Origins of the McGrane family
The surname McGrane was first found in the islands of Jura and Islay, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the McGrane family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGrane research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1649, 1856 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McGrane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McGrane Spelling Variations
Medieval spelling was at best an intuitive process, and translation between Gaelic and English was no more effective. These factors caused an enormous number of spelling variations in Dalriadan names. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a father and son who spelled their name differently. Over the years, McGrane has been spelled MacCraney, Craney, Crainey, MacCrain, McCranie, MacCranny, MacCranne, MacCranney, MacCrayne and many more.
Early Notables of the McGrane family
More information is included under the topic Early McGrane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McGrane Ranking
In the United States, the name McGrane is the 11,666th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
Migration of the McGrane family to Ireland
Some of the McGrane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McGrane migration to the United States +
Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The McGrane were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown:
McGrane Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Patrick McGrane, who landed in Mississippi in 1840 3
- Cathaline McGrane, aged 38, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1855 3
- James McGrane, aged 45, who immigrated to the United States, in 1897
McGrane Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Bernard McGrane, aged 28, who landed in America from Dublin, in 1903
- John McGrane, aged 30, who settled in America from Dublin, in 1904
- John J McGrane, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Dublin, in 1904
- Helen McGrane, aged 18, who landed in America from Cloonscott, Ireland, in 1906
- Irene McGrane, aged 21, who settled in America, in 1908
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name McGrane (post 1700) +
- Bernard McGrane, American sociologist, author, and Associate Professor
- Calley McGrane (b. 1989), American fiddler and vocalist
- William E. McGrane, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Canaan, 1930 4
- Miles A. McGrane Jr., American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 32nd District, 1944 4
- Gail McGrane (b. 1975), Scottish television weather forecaster
- Tomás McGrane (b. 1979), Irish hurler
- Michelle McGrane (b. 1974), poet from Zimbabwe
- Anthony Michael McGrane (1946-2004), Australian politician from Forbes
- John McGrane (b. 1952), retired Scottish-born, Canadian soccer defender
- Damien McGrane (b. 1971), Irish PGA golfer from Kells, County Meath
- ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The McGrane 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: Amor proximi
Motto Translation: The love of our neighbor.
Citations +
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html