Show ContentsClance History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Clance originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Fhlannchaidh. The exact meaning of this name is undetermined; it can be translated as "son of Fhlannchadh," where "flann" means "reddish" or "ruddy." However, whether "caidh" denotes warrior as has been asserted is unknown.

Early Origins of the Clance family

The surname Clance was first found in Counties Clare and Leitrim. The more important of the two MacClancy septs were a branch of the MacNamaras and were from the north of County Clare, where they gave their name to Cathermacclancy. They traced their lineage from the Heber kings, and provided hereditary brehons (judges) to the O'Briens. They were most numerous in County Clare and the neighboring counties of Galway and Tipperary. The other sept of MacClancys were indigenous to Leitrim, and were Chiefs of Darty or Rosclogher. 1

Early History of the Clance family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clance research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clance History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clance Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a standardized literary language known by the general population of Ireland was a thing of fiction. When a person's name was recorded by one of the few literate scribes, it was up that particular scribe to decide how to spell an individual's name. So a person could have several spelling variations of his name recorded during a single lifetime. Research into the name Clance revealed many variations, including Clancy, Clancey, Clanchey, Clanchy, Clansey and many more.

Early Notables of the Clance family

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

Migration of the Clance family

In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Clance or a variant listed above, including: Cornelius Clancey who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife and servants; Richard Clanchy settled in New York with his wife and eight children in 1820.



  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)


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