Show ContentsMacCalle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Gaelic name used by the MacCalle family in ancient Ireland was Mac Ciele, which is derived from the word ciele, which means companion.

Early Origins of the MacCalle family

The surname MacCalle was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, from before the 12th century.

Early History of the MacCalle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacCalle research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacCalle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacCalle Spelling Variations

The spelling of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was rarely consistent. This inconsistency was due to the scribes and church officials' attempts to record orally defined names in writing. The common practice of recording names as they sounded resulted in spelling variations such as MacHale, McHale, MacHail, McHail, McCale, MacCale and others.

Early Notables of the MacCalle family

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

Migration of the MacCalle family

Many destitute Irish families in the 18th and 19th centuries decided to leave their homeland, which had in many ways been scarred by English colonial rule. One of the most frequent destinations for these families was North America where it was possible for an Irish family to own their own parcel of land. Many of the early settlers did find land awaiting them in British North America, or even later in America, but for the majority of immigrants that arrived as a result of the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s the ownership of land was often a long way off. These Irish people were initially put to work on such industrial projects as the building of bridges, canals, and railroads, or they worked at manufacturing positions within factories. Whenever they arrived, the Irish made enormous contributions to the infant nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the earliest immigrants to bearer the name of MacCalle were found through extensive research of immigration and passenger lists: Anthony, James, John, Martin, Patrick, Peter and Richard MacHale all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.



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