Kentire History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Scotland
• Ireland

Etymology of Kentire

The story of the name Kentire reaches back through Scottish history to the kingdom of Dalriada. The name evolved for a person who worked as a carpenter or wright. The Gaelic form Mac an t-saoir means son of the carpenter. Most historians agree that their earliest habitations were on MacDonald territories on Kintyre. Most legends about their beginnings point to an origin in the Hebrides. From this point on, opinions differ. One legend has the Clan-an-t-Saor (Children of the Carpenter) arriving in Lorne in a galley with a white cow, another says that the galley, set adrift, developed a leak below the water line and the MacDonald Chieftain placed his thumb in the hole to keep the boat afloat. Spotting help at a distance, he cut off his thumb so that he could wave. He was ironically named the Carpenter or MacIntyre. Some claim that the family derived its name from a member of the MacDonalds who was called Cean-tire because of his ownership of lands on the peninsula of Kintyre.

Kentire Coat of Arms Creation

The crest of this clan is a hand holding a dagger, and their motto, " Per Ardua" (Through difficulties), probably because they had success only by hard work.

There are two legends as to how they got the name Macintyre. One is that at Creich, in Sutherland, one of the Clan Donald built a fort so well that he became known as "An Saor," Gaelic for "the carpenter," and his son as "Mac-an-shaor," which is pronounced very like Macintyre.

The other story is that in coming over from Ireland the plug in the bottom of the boat was displaced and thrown overboard as they were baling. Having nothing handy to stop the in rushing water, the first Macintyre thrust his thumb into the hole, and when he found that his services were urgently needed in another part of the boat, he chopped it off, and the thumbless one was afterwards known as "An Saor." Perhaps it is to commemorate this that they have a galley with sails furled in their armorial bearings. 1

Early Origins of the Kentire family

Early History of the Kentire family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kentire research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1543, 1597, 1890, 1955 and 1991 are included under the topic Early Kentire History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kentire Spelling Variations

Spelling variations are the result of the medieval practice of spelling according to sound and repeated translation between Gaelic and English. Many spelling variations of Kentire have been recorded over the years, including MacIntyre, MacIntire, MacIntre and many more.

Early Notables of the Kentire family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kentire Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kentire family to Ireland

Some of the Kentire 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.

Migration of the Kentire family

Numerous Scottish settlers settled along the east coast of the colonies that would become the United States and Canada. Others traveled to the open country of the west. At the time of the American War of Independence, some remained in the United States, while those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The highland games and Clan societies that sprang up across North America in the 20th century have helped many Scots to recover parts of their lost traditions. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Kentires to arrive in North America: Angus McIntire settled in New York in 1739; along with Donald; Anne, Duncan, John, Margaret, Archibald, McIntire settled in Wilmington N.C. in 1775; Hugh McIntire settled in Virginia in 1716.