Show ContentsMcAdie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The chronicle of the name McAdie begins with a family in the Pictish clans of ancient Scotland. The name is derived from the Gaelic surname Mac Adaidh, which means son of Adam. Addie, Addy, Adie, Eadie, Eddie, and Edie are all pet forms or double diminutives of the name Adam.

Early Origins of the McAdie family

The surname McAdie was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat at Strathardle, in the valley of the Ardle Water.

The first of the Clan was Gillimichael M'Ade, famous in Strathardle tradition, who was alive in 1232. The name took on many forms as it emerged from the original Gaelic. MacAddie, MacKeddie, MacChaddy, and when it became fashionable to drop the Mac it became Addie, Keddie, Chaddy, even MacKiddie, and so on.

Their home and clan seat was deep in the forest of Strathardle at Petcarene. Some members of the Fergusons of the Balmacruchie became McAdies.

ONe of the first records of the family was "the ship of John Kede, a Scotsman, was wrecked at Holkham, Norfolk, England, in 1388," [1] but from that early recording we must wait almost two centuries to find the next. The same source note that "John Kady was in record in Dysart, 1577, Margaret Keddie in Falsyde, parish of Roberton, 1623, and Dorathia Kadie, was heir of Alexander Kadie, tailor in Edinburgh, 1616. " [1]

Early History of the McAdie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McAdie research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1635, 1639, 1647, 1664 and 1670 are included under the topic Early McAdie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McAdie Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. McAdie has been written MacAddie, McAddie, MacKeddie, McKeddy, MacKiddie, McKiddie, MacKedy, McKedy, MacKeddey, McKeddey, MacAdie, McAdie, Keddy, Keddie, Cheddy, Cheddie, Keddey, Kedy, Kiddie, Kiddy, Cheddey, MacEddie, McEddie, MacEddy, McEddy, Kede, Ceddy, Keddie, MacAdie and many more.

Early Notables of the McAdie family

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


Australia McAdie migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McAdie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Robert McAdie, aged 24, a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Sultana" [2]
  • James McAdie, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" [3]
  • Robert McAdie, aged 24, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1851 [2]
  • Nancy McAdie, aged 20, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1851 [2]
  • George McAdie, aged 1, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1851 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name McAdie (post 1700) +

  • Alexander George McAdie (1863-1943), American meteorologist, eponym of the Mount McAdie in the Sierra Nevada range and the lunar McAdie crater


  1. 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)
  2. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SULTANA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Sultana.htm
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HYDASPES 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Hydaspes.htm


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