Knash History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Knash

What does the name Knash mean?

The many centuries old Dalriadan-Scottish name Knash comes from the personal name Naos, which is a dialectal form of Aonghus or Angus. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Neis, which is derived from the earlier form Mac Naois; both of these mean son of Angus. Thus, the name Knash is a cognate of MacAngus and MacInnes.

Early Origins of the Knash family

The surname Knash was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, 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 Knash family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knash research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1522 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Knash History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knash Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Knash has been spelled MacNeish, MacNeice, MacNish, MacNess, MacKness, MacNeece and many more.

Early Notables of the Knash family

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

Migration of the Knash family to Ireland

Some of the Knash family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knash migration to the United States +

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Knash family emigrate to North America:

Knash Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Susan Knash, who landed in Virginia in 1714 1

The Knash 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: Animo non astutia
Motto Translation: By courage, not by craft.

Sources +

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)