Show ContentsMacEachain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

MacEachain Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of MacEachain

What does the name MacEachain mean?

The ancestors of the first families to use the name MacEachain lived in ancient Scotland in the kingdom of Dalriada. The name was then used as a nickname for a /the personal names Eachan and Eochaidh. The Gaelic form of the name is usually Mac Eachainn, meaning son of Eachan. However, The surnames MacGeachie, MacGeachy, and MacKeachie are derived from the Irish surname Mag Eachaidh, an Ulster variant of Mag Eochadha, which means son of Eochaidh. 1

Early Origins of the MacEachain family

The surname MacEachain was first found in Knoydart, where they were a sept of the MacDonalds, descended from Hector (Gaelic Eachann,) second son of Roderick MacDonald, 3rd of Moydart and Clanranald. 2

Early History of the MacEachain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacEachain research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1686, 1694, 1711, 1715, 1745 and 1890 are included under the topic Early MacEachain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacEachain Spelling Variations

In various documents MacEachain has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. McEachan, McGeachan, McKechnie, McGeachie and many more.

Early Notables of the MacEachain family

  • Stephen James MacDonald, Duke of Tarentum, a marshal for Napoleon, who was a son of Neil MacEachainn of South Uist

Migration of the MacEachain family to Ireland

Some of the MacEachain family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 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 MacEachain family

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 MacEachain family emigrate to North America: Joseph MaKecky (McGeachie), who arrived in Virginia in 1756; Thomas McKeachie, on record in America in 1797; Thomas McKeachy, who was in Ontario in 1844.

  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)

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