Keachant History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of KeachantWhat does the name Keachant mean? Keachant is an ancient Dalriadan-Scottish nickname for a /the personal names Eachan and Eochaidh. The Gaelic form of the name is usually Mac Eachainn, meaning son of Eachan. However, The surnames MacGeachie, MacGeachy, and MacKeachie are derived from the Irish surname Mag Eachaidh, an Ulster variant of Mag Eochadha, which means son of Eochaidh. 1 Early Origins of the Keachant familyThe surname Keachant was first found in Knoydart, where they were a sept of the MacDonalds, descended from Hector (Gaelic Eachann,) second son of Roderick MacDonald, 3rd of Moydart and Clanranald. 2 Early History of the Keachant familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keachant research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1686, 1694, 1711, 1715, 1745 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Keachant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Keachant Spelling VariationsMedieval 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. Keachant has been written as McEachan, McGeachan, McKechnie, McGeachie and many more. Early Notables of the Keachant familyAnother 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keachant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Keachant family to IrelandSome of the Keachant family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Keachant familyDalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Keachant or a variant listed above: Joseph MaKecky (McGeachie), who arrived in Virginia in 1756; Thomas McKeachie, on record in America in 1797; Thomas McKeachy, who was in Ontario in 1844.
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