McTeer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McTeer family. The root of their name is the Gaelic form Mac-an-Tsaoir, which denotes son of the carpenter or wright.
Early Origins of the McTeer family
The surname McTeer was first found in on the Isle of Iona, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.
Early History of the McTeer family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McTeer research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1372, 1564 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McTeer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McTeer 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. McTeer has appeared in various documents spelled MacAteer, MacTear, MacTeir, MacTire, MacAtee, MacAtter, MacAttur and many more.
Early Notables of the McTeer family
More information is included under the topic Early McTeer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McTeer family to Ireland
Some of the McTeer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McTeer 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 McTeer or a variant listed above:
McTeer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Barnet McTeer, aged 42, who landed in New York in 1812 1
- Thomas McTeer, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1849 1
Contemporary Notables of the name McTeer (post 1700) +
- Joseph T. McTeer (1840-1904), American politician, Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, 1902-03 2
- Robert D McTeer (b. 1943), American economist, former Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (1981-1991)
- Maureen Anne McTeer (b. 1952), Canadian author and lawyer, wife of Joe Clark, the 16th Prime Minister of Canada
- Janet McTeer OBE (b. 1961), British multiple award winning actress including a Golden Globe and a Tony Award
- Heather McTeer Toney, American politician, environmentalist, attorney, appointed Regional Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Southeast region by President Barack Obama in 2014
The McTeer 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: Per ardua
Motto Translation: Through difficulties.
Citations +
- 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 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html