McKinley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Scotland

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The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McKinley family. The root of their name is the personal name Finlay. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Fionnlaigh, which means son of Finlay. Thus, McKinley is a cognate of the surname Finlayson.

Early Origins of the McKinley family

The surname McKinley was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where the surname is still commonly found around Glenlyon and Balquhidder. The earliest known record of the name is from 1493, when Gillaspyk M'Kynlay witnessed legal proceedings involving Archibald, Earl of Argyll.

Early History of the McKinley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKinley research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1675, 1700 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McKinley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKinley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McKinley has appeared in various documents spelled MacKinley, MacKinlay, MacKindlay, MacKinly, MacKindley and many more.

Early Notables of the McKinley family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKinley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKinley Ranking

In the United States, the name McKinley is the 1,325^th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1

Migration of the McKinley family to Ireland

Some of the McKinley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKinley migration to the United States +

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name McKinley or a variant listed above:

McKinley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

David McKinley, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 2
William McKinley, who landed in Maryland in 1767 2
Michael McKinley, aged 40, who landed in New York, NY in 1775 2
Jean McKinley, aged 26, who arrived in New York, NY in 1775 2

McKinley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander McKinley, aged 23, who arrived in New York, NY in 1803 2
Mary McKinley, who arrived in America in 1805 2
Andrew McKinley, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 2
Henry McKinley, who arrived in Maryland in 1809 2
John McKinley, aged 20, who landed in Maine in 1812 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKinley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Andrew McKinley, aged 55, who landed in America from Derry, in 1905
Alex McKinley, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1905
Alex McKinley, aged 24, who landed in America from Glasgow, in 1906
Annie McKinley, aged 12, who landed in America from Addiewell, Scotland, in 1907
Annabella McKinley, aged 3, who immigrated to the United States from Burnbank, Scotland, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKinley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McKinley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Henry McKinley, aged 34, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1833
Sophia McKinley, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1833
Biddy McKinley, aged 3, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1833
Edward McKinley, aged under 1, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1833
Mr. Martin McKinley, aged 3 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Congress" departing from the port of Sligo, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKinley migration to Australia +

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

McKinley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Robert McKinley, aged 20, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Emily" 4

McKinley 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:

McKinley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas McKinley, aged 30, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Clarence" in 1875
Dinas McKinley, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1878
Harriet McKinley, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rangitikei" in 1884

Contemporary Notables of the name McKinley (post 1700) +

William Thomas McKinley (b. 1938), American composer and jazz pianist, awarded a citation from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and eight National Endowment for the Arts grants
President William McKinley Jr. (1843-1901), American politician, 25th President of the United States (1897-1901), eponym of Mount McKinley, the highest mountain peak in North America
William McKinley (1810-1811), American politician, U.S. Representative from Virginia
General Craig Richard McKinley (b. 1952), USAF American 26th Chief, National Guard Bureau (2008 to 2012), the first officer from the National Guard to ever achieve the grade of a four-star general
Brigadier-General Edward Brigham McKinley (1895-1963), American Chief Fiscal Officer, Office of the Quartermaster-General (1939-1945) 5
David B McKinley (b. 1947), American politician, U.S. Representative for West Virginia (2011-)
John McKinley (1780-1852), American politician and jurist, U.S. Senator from Alabama (1837) and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (1837-1852)
Robin McKinley (b. 1952), born Jennifer Carolyn Robin McKinley, American fantasy author, her 1984 novel The Hero and the Crown won the Newbery Medal
Kenny McKinley (1987-2010), American NFL football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos (2009-)
Donald J. McKinley, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
... (Another 41 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McKinley family +

The McKinley 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: Amo
Motto Translation: I love.