McLelland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

Scotland

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In ancient Scotland, the first people to use the name McLelland were part of a tribe known as the Strathclyde Britons. The name is derived from the son of the servant of Fillan. Fillan is derived from the word fail which means wolf. In Gaelic, the name was spelled Mac Gill Fhaolain

Early Origins of the McLelland family

The surname McLelland was first found in the former counties of Kirkcudbrightshire and Galloway where Chief Duncan MacLellan appears in a charter of Alexander II in 1217. Other early records of the surname include Gilbert M'Lolane, who lived around the year 1270. Gilbert's son Patrick, along with several others, took the castle of Dumfries from the supporters of Robert the Bruce in around 1305. Gilelbertus MacLelan was elected Bishop of Man and the Sudreys in 1325 and held the position for almost 3 years.

Early History of the McLelland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McLelland research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1347, 1450, 1457, 1466, 1513, 1547, 1597, 1633, 1641, 1647 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McLelland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McLelland Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. McLelland has been spelled MacClelland, McClellan, MacLellan, McLellan, MacLelland, McLelland, MacClelland, McClelland, Clelland and many more.

Early Notables of the McLelland family

Notable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was Sir William Maclellan of Bombie, knighted by King James IV of Scotland, who fought for the king in the losing Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. According to folklore, McLellan threw his gauntlet at the king's feet, shook his fist and...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McLelland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McLelland Ranking

In the United States, the name McLelland is the 16,431^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the McLelland family to Ireland

Some of the McLelland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McLelland migration to the United States +

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them:

McLelland Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles McLelland, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 2
Thomas McLelland, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 2

McLelland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

C H McLelland, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

McLelland migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McLelland Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Donald McLelland, who landed in Canada in 1816
Eliza McLelland, aged 38, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ranger" in 1834
Mary Ann McLelland, aged 18, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ranger" in 1834
Neill McLelland, aged 15, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ranger" in 1834
Richard McLelland, aged 11, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ranger" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McLelland 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:

McLelland Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ann McLelland, aged 25, a sempstress, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
Miss Ann McLelland, (b. 1815), aged 25, British sempstress travelling from England aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 14th November 1840 3

Contemporary Notables of the name McLelland (post 1700) +

Randal Sean McLelland (1985-2008), American International Skeet shooter at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Charles "Chic" McLelland (1953-2020), Scottish football player and manager
Ronald David McLelland (b. 1926), Canadian farmer and Progressive Conservative politician
David McLelland (b. 1952), retired Canadian professional NHL ice hockey goaltender
Charles "Fuzz" McLelland (1930-2004), English controller of BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 from 1976 to 1978
Alfred McLelland Burrage (1889-1956), British writer