Kaan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The sea-swept Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Kaan family. Their name comes from the given name Ian or John. John is the most common personal name in the Highlands. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Iain.

Early Origins of the Kaan family

The surname Kaan 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 Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Kaan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kaan research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1340, 1292, 1808, 1875, 1618, 1717, 1777, 1667 and are included under the topic Early Kaan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kaan Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Kaan has been written as MacIan, MacAne, MacKane, MacKean, MacKain and others.

Early Notables of the Kaan family (pre 1700)

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Archibald McKain (1717-1777), Scottish Shoemaker and Burgess of Elgin, Morayshire, who became the 15th Chief of MacIain of Ardnamurchan. Also of note was Thomas M'kean of Delaware, one of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence. John Canne (d. 1667?)...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kaan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kaan family to Ireland

Some of the Kaan 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.

Kaan migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kaan or a variant listed above:

Kaan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Caspar Kaan, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 [1]

Kaan migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kaan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Hugh Kaan, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 [2]

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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837Navarino.htm