McBlane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Boernicians of the Scottish/English Borderlands spawned the name McBlane. It comes from the Gaelic personal name Bleen, which means yellow.

Saint Blane (Blaan) was "one of the earliest bishops of Kingarth in Bute, is commemorated in the Martyrology of Oengus at August 10: 'With a host, sound, of noble birth, well-coloured, fair Blaan of Kingarth.' His name is from bid, that is yellow, from blavos. He is probably also the saint commemorated in the Calendar of Gorman as Blaan buadach Breton, 'triumphant Blaan of the Britons.' He gave name to Kilblane in Southend, Kintyre, and to Dunblane. According to a Bute legend he was mysteriously begotten of a water-sprite." 1

Early Origins of the McBlane family

The surname McBlane was first found in Ayrshire and Wigtownshire where the name is a "reduced form of MacBlain." 1

One of the first records of the family was that of "Blahan, presbyter of Litun probably Linton in Roxburghshire witnessed a quitclaim by Robert, Bishop of St. Andrews, 1127." 1

"Patrick Blane was provost of the burgh of Wigtown in 1561, and John Blain had a charter of the half of the ten-mark lands of Meikle-Wig in the parish of Whithorn in 1674. Agnes Blain [was] in the parish of Kirkcudbright, 1684." 1

Across the border in Yorkshire, England Andrew Blayne, Bleyn was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1219 and Nicholas Bleyne Was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls for Suffolk in 1275. Hamo de Blein was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Kent in 1219. Later John Blayne was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1507.

Down here, it is thought that the name was derived from the Old Welsh Bledgint, Middle English Blethyn. 2

While the aforementioned early origins are the traditional understandings of the origin of the family, one source claims the name to be "from the town of Blain, in Bretagne, France. Blaen, in the Welsh, signifies the summit or top; the same as pen, brig, and bar, the highest part of a mountain; the end or top of an object; the inland extremity of a glen; a leader or chief." 3

Early History of the McBlane family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McBlane research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1561, 1660, 1674, 1749, 1750, 1771, 1778, 1780, 1793, 1795, 1834, 1835 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McBlane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McBlane Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages simply spelled according to sound. The result is an enormous number of spelling variations among names that evolved in that era. McBlane has been spelled Blain, Blane, Blaine, Blaines, Blahan and others.

Early Notables of the McBlane family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir Gilbert Blane (1749-1834), Scottish physician, the fourth son of Mr. Gilbert Blane of Blanefield, Ayrshire, where he was born on 29 Aug. 1749. At the age of fourteen he was sent to the University of Edinburgh, being at first intended for the church, but was ultimately led to study medicine. After spending five years in the faculty of arts, and five more in that of medicine at Edinburgh, he took the degree of M.D. in the university of Glasgow on 28 Aug. 1778. During his studentship he was elected one of the...
Another 155 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McBlane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McBlane family to Ireland

Some of the McBlane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 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 McBlane family

Most of the Boernician-Scottish families who came to North America settled on the eastern seaboard of what would become the United States and Canada. Families who wanted a new order stayed south in the War of Independence, while those who were still loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, the ancestors of these families have gone on to rediscover their heritage through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name McBlane or a variant listed above: James Blaine who settled in Pennsylvania in 1740; Eliza Blain who settled in New York in 1774; Peter Blain settled in Philadelphia in 1805; John Blain settled in New Orleans in 1820.

The McBlane 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: Paritur pax bello
Motto Translation: Peace is obtained by war.

Citations +

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print