As a native Irish surname, McAlee is derived from the Gaelic name Mac Laoidhigh, which comes from the word "laoidh," which means "a poem;" or from Mac Giolla Iosa, which means "son of the devotee of Jesus." However, Lee is also a common indigenous name in
England, many families of which have been established in
Ireland since at least the 17th century.
Early Origins of the McAlee family
The surname McAlee was first found in
Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they were prominent in the west being anciently associated as hereditary physicians to the O'Flahertys. The McLees or McAlees were traditionally doctors or physicians. By the 16th century different branches had developed in
Galway, in
Leix, and in
Munster at Cork and
Limerick. The name in Gaelic was O'Laidhigh.
Early History of the McAlee family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McAlee research.
Another 438 words (31 lines of text) covering the years 1253, 1600, 1650, and 1734 are included under the topic Early McAlee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McAlee Spelling Variations
Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous
spelling variations of the surname McAlee are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include McAlea, McAlee, MacAlee, MacAlea, MacLee, McLee, MacLees, McLees, MacLeas, McLeas, O'Lees, O'Leas, Lee and many more.
Early Notables of the McAlee family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early McAlee Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McAlee family to the New World and Oceana
A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and
Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The
Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name McAlee or a variant listed above:
McAlee Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Isaac McAlee, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Contemporary Notables of the name McAlee (post 1700)
- Floyd R. McAlee, American Republican politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 18th District, 1926 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The McAlee 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: Fide et fortitudine
Motto Translation: By fidelity and fortitude.