The name MacArdell originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Ardghail, which is derived from the word "ardghal," which means "high valor."
The surname MacArdell was first found in County Louth (Irish: Lú) the smallest county in Ireland, located on the East coast, in the Province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacArdell research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1729, 1765, 1700 and 1725 are included under the topic Early MacArdell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the Middle Ages, a name was often recorded under several different spelling variations during the life of its bearer. Literacy was rare at that time and none of the languages to be found in the British Isles had achieved any great semblance of standardization. Variations of the name MacArdell found include MacArdle, MacCardle, MacCardell, McArdle and others.
More information is included under the topic Early MacArdell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Irish families began to migrate to North America in the late 18th century in the hopes of gaining their own plot of land. The majority of these early immigrant families were relatively well off because the transatlantic passage was costly. As a result the decision to immigrate was carefully made. Those immigrants that arrived in the late 1840s differed because their decision to leave was in direct response to the Great Potato Famine. Many of the families that crossed the Atlantic during this decade were destitute, either having spent all they had on the fare or even starting with nothing, but being sponsored by a philanthropic society. Whenever, these Irish families came to North America, they were made great contributions to the developing nations of the United States and what would come to be known as Canada: the earlier settlers as land clearing homesteaders, and the later immigrants as the muscle that would build the industries and routes of transportation so critical to a powerful nation. Research into the passenger and immigration lists has shown many early and significant Irish immigrants bearing the name MacArdell: Arthur, Denis, Duncan, Francis, Hugh, James, Michael, Owen, Patrick, Phillip and Thomas MacArdle, who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..