McKellar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Among the the peoples of ancient Scotland, the first to use the name McKellar were the Strathclyde-Britons. McKellar was a name for someone who lived in the lands of (Easter and Wester) Keilor in the adjoining parishes of Newtyle and Kettins in Angus. The names are still common in the district. 1
Early Origins of the McKellar family
The surname McKellar was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland. "Stephen de Cellar [was] burgess of Roxburgh, 1262. Duncan de Cellario, burgess of Peril 1292 is doubtless Dunkan del Celer, burgess of Perth, who rendered homage in 1296." 1
The MacKellar variant with its various spellings is in "Gaelic Mac Ealair, 'son of Ealair,' the Gaelic form of Latin Hilarius, the name of the bishop of Poitiers, commemorated in the Felire of Oengus at 13 January. " 1
Early History of the McKellar family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKellar research. Another 517 words (37 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1345, 1372, 1383, 1398, 1436, 1470, 1476, 1488, 1493, 1496, 1500, 1518, 1525, 1528, 1538, 1550, 1553, 1594, 1679, 1685, 1688, 1704, 1797, 1834, 1876, 1880, 1885 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McKellar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McKellar Spelling Variations
Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. McKellar has been spelled Keller, Kellar, Keeler, Keilor, Keiler, Keillor, Keiller, Kelour, MacKeller and many more.
Early Notables of the McKellar family
Notable amongst the family at this time was Godfrey Keller (d. 1704), musical theorist and harpsichord player, was born in Germany, but settled in London towards the end of the seventeenth century as professor and composer. He died in November 1704, leaving a widow and two sons. To the elder, Godfrey, he bequeathed his ‘best fiddle’ and spinet. 2
Mary MacKellar (1834-1890), highland poetess, daughter of Allan Cameron, baker at Fort William, was born on 1 Oct. 1834. She married early John Mackellar, captain and joint-owner of a coasting vessel, with...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKellar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McKellar Ranking
In the United States, the name McKellar is the 7,472nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3
Migration of the McKellar family to Ireland
Some of the McKellar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McKellar migration to the United States +
Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them:
McKellar Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Archibald McKellar, who landed in New York, NY in 1738 4
- Charles McKellar, who arrived in New York in 1738 4
McKellar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John McKellar, who arrived in New York in 1841 4
- Jean McKellar, who landed in New York in 1855 4
- Angus McKellar, aged 24, who landed in New York in 1864 4
McKellar migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
McKellar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Donald McKellar, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 5
- Mr. Archibald McKellar, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 10th August 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
- Mr. Frederick McKellar, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
- Catherine McKellar, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Lilford" in 1839 8
- Donald McKellar, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Lilford" in 1839 8
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
McKellar 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:
McKellar Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. Charles McKellar, (b. 1852), aged 22, Scottish cooper travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Oamaru" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th February 1875 9
Contemporary Notables of the name McKellar (post 1700) +
- Kenneth Douglas McKellar (1869-1957), American politician from Tennessee, President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate (1949-1953)
- Crystal Dawn Scripps McKellar (b. 1976), American attorney and former child actress
- Danica Mae McKellar (b. 1975), American actress, author, and education advocate
- Squadron Leader Archibald Ashmore "Archie" McKellar DSO DFC & Bar (1912-1940), Scottish flying ace in the Royal Air Force (RAF) credited with 22 aerial victories, killed in action
- Kenneth McKellar (1927-2010), Scottish tenor
- Malcolm Earl McKellar (1918-1976), Canadian politician in Manitoba, Canada
- John McKellar (1833-1900), Canadian businessman and politician, the first mayor of Fort William, Ontario (later part of Thunder Bay), (1892-1898), eponym of The John McKellar Memorial Hospital
- Gerald Colin McKellar (1903-1970), Australian politician, Senator for New South Wales (1958-1970)
- Andrew McKellar (1910-1960), Canadian astronomer
- Archibald McKellar (1816-1894), Scottish-born, Canadian politician, Leader of Canada 's Ontario Liberal Party from 1867 to 1868
- ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
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)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- "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)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Rajasthan.htm
- Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY LILFORD 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839LadyLilford.htm
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html