McNabb History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


The first family to use the name McNabb lived in the area that was once the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. It is a name for a son of an abbot. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac an Aba. They are descended from the hereditary abbots of St. Fillan's near Loch Earn. Fillan was a royal prince of the royal house of Dalriada. In the reign of William, the Lyon of Scotland, the Abbots of Glendochart held a rank equivalent to the Earls of Atholl and Menteith. The Clan held the barony of Glendochart at the west end of Loch Tay.

Early Origins of the McNabb family

The surname McNabb 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 they joined with the MacDougalls in opposing Robert the Bruce and consequently lost many of the vast territories they had held. However, the Chief of the MacNabs finally became reconciled to the Bruce, and regained many of his lost lands when King David II came to the throne of Scotland. He also received the official charter for the barony of Bowaine dated 1336. Finlay MacNab, the 4th Chief of the Clan, added considerably to the estates toward the end of the 15th century, but in 1552 another Finlay, the 6th Chief, fell into financial difficulties and mortgaged most of the Clan lands to the Campbell of Glenorchy. The Clan, however, refused to acknowledge the superiority of the Campbells

Early History of the McNabb family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNabb research. Another 403 words (29 lines of text) covering the years 1612, 1651, 1660, 1745, 1770, 1780, 1798, 1816, 1820, 1854, 1856, 1860, 1862 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McNabb History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McNabb Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of McNabb include MacNab, MacNabb, MacKnab, Mac an Aba (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the McNabb family

More information is included under the topic Early McNabb Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McNabb Ranking

In the United States, the name McNabb is the 3,020th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in New Zealand, the name McNabb is ranked the 972nd most popular surname with an estimated 770 people with that name. 2

Migration of the McNabb family to Ireland

Some of the McNabb family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


McNabb 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 McNabb were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown:

McNabb Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
McNabb Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

McNabb migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McNabb Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
McNabb Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

McNabb 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:

McNabb Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name McNabb (post 1700) +


The McNabb 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: Timor omnis abesto
Motto Translation: Let fear be far from all.
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