MacBlane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The story of the name MacBlane is long and rich in history. It begins among the Boernicians of the Scottish/English Borderlands, where the name was derived from the Gaelic personal name Bleen, which means yellow. It was also the name of an early Celtic saint.

Early Origins of the MacBlane family

The surname MacBlane was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the MacBlane family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacBlane research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1561, 1660, 1674 and 1890 are included under the topic Early MacBlane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacBlane Spelling Variations

In the Middles Ages scribes spelled names by their sound. Often a name was written under a different spelling variation each time it was recorded. MacBlane has appeared as Blain, Blane, Blaine, Blaines, Blahan and others.

Early Notables of the MacBlane family

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

Migration of the MacBlane family to Ireland

Some of the MacBlane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 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 MacBlane family

The ancestors of Boernician-Scottish settlers dot North America even today. They settled all along the east coast when they came over, but some went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the War of Independence. However, these strong lines endured as Scottish families in the United States and Canada have rediscovered much of the heritage that was taken from them centuries ago. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name MacBlane, or a variant listed above: James Blaine who settled in Pennsylvania in 1740; Eliza Blain who settled in New York in 1774; Peter Blain settled in Philadelphia in 1805; John Blain settled in New Orleans in 1820.

The MacBlane 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: Paritur pax bello
Motto Translation: Peace is obtained by war.