Show ContentsMcAbee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The western coast of Scotland and the desolate Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McAbee family. Their name is derived from the Gaelic form Mac-Aba, which means son of the Abbot.

Early Origins of the McAbee family

The surname McAbee was first found in on the Isle of Arran, where they held a family seat from early times. The family name McAbee first appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McAbee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McAbee research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early McAbee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McAbee 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. McAbee has appeared in various documents spelled MacCabe, McCabe, McAbe, MacAbe and others.

Early Notables of the McAbee family

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

McAbee Ranking

In the United States, the name McAbee is the 5,611st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Migration of the McAbee family to Ireland

Some of the McAbee family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


McAbee migration to the United States +

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name McAbee or a variant listed above include:

McAbee Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alice McAbee, aged 20, who immigrated to America, in 1893
McAbee Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Kate McAbee, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
  • Ghas McAbee, aged 42, who landed in America, in 1904
  • Robert Austen McAbee, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
  • Lola J. McAbee, aged 17, who landed in America, in 1912
  • Lola McAbee, aged 17, who settled in America, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McAbee (post 1700) +

  • Robert S. McAbee, American psychiatrist and author
  • T.L. McAbee, American researcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California
  • Palmer Braden McAbee (1894-1970), American blues harmonica player from Cherokee County, Alabama
  • Cory McAbee (b. 1961), American writer, director and lead vocalist of the band Billy Nayer Show
  • Bruce McAbee (b. 1951), American farmer and financial services executive, CEO of Farm Credit of New Mexico(2003–2008)


The McAbee 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: Aut Vincere Aut Mori
Motto Translation: Either to conquer or die.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook