MacAnsh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Scotland
• Ireland

Etymology of MacAnsh

The MacAnsh family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name MacAnsh is derived from the personal name Angus. The Gaelic form of the name, Mac Aonguis, translates as son of Angus. Angus refers to the Pictish King Onnust who died in the year 761.

While there are no direct links with this King in the history of the Clan or surname, there is a conjectural line, which may be adopted. The lands descended into the Barony of Innes in the County of Elginshire. However, the son or sons of Angus, originally from the Kingdom of Dalriada, were one of the three kindred houses, of the kingdom, the other two houses being the Gabran (the largest) and Lornetach which provided fighting men for the defense of the Kingdom of early Scots. For every twenty homes owned, they were obliged to provide two galleys, and so Angus, having 430 houses, provided a fleet of approximately forty galleys for the defense of the waters of Dalriada, generally those estuaries around the mouth of the Clyde.

Early Origins of the MacAnsh family

Early History of the MacAnsh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacAnsh research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1358 and 1890 are included under the topic Early MacAnsh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacAnsh Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. MacAnsh has appeared in various documents spelled MacInnes, MacInnis, MacAngus and many more.

Early Notables of the MacAnsh family

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

Migration of the MacAnsh family to Ireland

Some of the MacAnsh family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 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 MacAnsh family

Dalriadan 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 MacAnsh or a variant listed above: Duncan McInnes, who settled in Philadelphia in 1798; Thomas and Helen McInnes, who settled in Boston in 1849; John McInnis who settled in South Carolina in 1716.