Show ContentsMcArdell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name McArdell originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Ardghail, which is derived from the word "ardghal," which means "high valor."

Early Origins of the McArdell family

The surname McArdell was first found in County Louth (Irish: Lú) the smallest county in Ireland, located on the East coast, in the Province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McArdell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McArdell research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1700, 1725, 1729 and 1765 are included under the topic Early McArdell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McArdell Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, a name was often recorded under several different spelling variations during the life of its bearer. Literacy was rare at that time and none of the languages to be found in the British Isles had achieved any great semblance of standardization. Variations of the name McArdell found include MacArdle, MacCardle, MacCardell, McArdle and others.

Early Notables of the McArdell family

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


McArdell migration to the United States +

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the late 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape such hunger and disease. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name McArdell:

McArdell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J McArdell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 1

McArdell migration to Australia +

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

McArdell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary Mcardell, (Mcardle, Mccarroll), (b. 1764), aged 49, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Catherine" on 8th December 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

McArdell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

McArdell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Margaret Mcardell, British settler travelling from London via Cobh aboard the ship "Sir George Pollock" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th September 1859 3


  1. 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)
  2. Convict Records of Australia (Retreived 2nd January 2021, retreived from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/catherine
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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