McVicker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

Scotland

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

(226)

The name McVicker comes from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada, where it was used to indicate someone who worked as a son of a vicar, who was a priest in charge of a parish in which most or all of the tithes were paid to another recipient, while the vicar received a stipend. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac a Bhiocair.

Early Origins of the McVicker family

The surname McVicker was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, 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 Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McVicker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McVicker research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1685 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McVicker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McVicker Spelling Variations

Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. In various documents McVicker has been spelled MacVicar, MacViccar, MacVicker, MacVicer, MacWicar and many more.

Early Notables of the McVicker family

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

McVicker Ranking

In the United States, the name McVicker is the 11,184^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the McVicker family to Ireland

Some of the McVicker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McVicker migration to the United States +

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name McVicker, or a variant listed above:

McVicker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry McVicker, who landed in America in 1809 2
John McVicker, who arrived in America in 1811 2
James McVicker, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1833 2
Hugh McVicker, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 2

McVicker migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McVicker Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Duncan McVicker U.E., (McVicar) who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 3

McVicker 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:

McVicker Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William McVicker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Pegasus" in 1865

Contemporary Notables of the name McVicker (post 1700) +

Noah McVicker, American inventor of Play-Doh, the children's modelling clay, named by the Toy Industry Association in its "Century of Toys List"
Joseph "Joe" McVicker, American nephew of Noah McVicker who successfully marketed his uncle's Play-Doh invention; together forming the Rainbow Crafts Company in 1956 to market the product
J. McVicker (1906-1991), prominent American educational psychologist and author
Jack McVicker (b. 1972), American Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor and instructor
Roy Harrison McVicker (1924-1973), American politician, U.S. Representative from Colorado
Mitch McVicker, American GMA Dove Award winning Contemporary Christian Music singer/songwriter
Dana McVicker, American country music artist
Roy Harrison McVicker (1924-1973), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Colorado State Senate, 1956-64; U.S. Representative from Colorado 2nd District, 1965-67 4
Mary McVicker, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 23rd District, 1919 4
Ira D. McVicker (1853-1938), American politician, Member of Iowa State House of Representatives; Elected 1912 4
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The McVicker 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: Tandem
Motto Translation: At length.