Show ContentsMcCabe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

McCabe Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of McCabe

What does the name McCabe mean?

The McCabe family's roots in Ireland stretch back to the year 1350, when they were imported to Ireland as mercenaries, or gallowglasses, from Scotland by the Irish chiefs of the O'Rourkes and the O'Reillys of Leitrim and Cavan. This family was named for the peculiar headgear it wore: the name McCabe comes from the Gaelic word Caba, meaning 'hat' or 'cap.' Thus, it belongs to the nickname category of surnames.

Early Origins of the McCabe family

The surname McCabe was first found in on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. Shortly after their arrival in Ireland in 1350, they became a recognized Breffny sept with their chief being "Constable of the two Breffnys". This would be their homeland for centuries. They were known as mercenaries to the O'Reillys and the O'Rourkes, but then became their own Sept in Breffny and their Chief was the 'Constable of the two Breffnys.'

During the middle of the 14th century, they were granted lands in Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Meath. The MaCabes lost their estates after the battle of Aughrim in 1691.

Early History of the McCabe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCabe research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1613, 1689, 1740 and 1810 are included under the topic Early McCabe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCabe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: McAbbe, Caybe, McCaibe, MacAbe, Abee, McAbeee, McAbbee, Abbee, McCaybe, Cabe, Abeee, MacCabee, MacCabe, McCabe, Cabbe, McAbee, Caibe and many more.

Early Notables of the McCabe family

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

McCabe World Ranking

the United States, the name McCabe is the 1,200th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name McCabe is ranked the 717th most popular surname with an estimated 5,436 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name McCabe is the 659th popular surname with an estimated 1,078 people with that name. 3 The United Kingdom ranks McCabe as 659th with 9,971 people. 4

McCabe migration to the United States +



McCabe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Sarah McCabe, who arrived in America in 1764 6
McCabe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edward McCabe, aged 35, who landed in New Castle or Philadelphia in 1805 6
  • Joseph McCabe, who landed in America in 1811 6
  • Linus McCabe, aged 27, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
  • Owen McCabe, aged 30, who landed in New York in 1812 6
  • Hugh McCabe, aged 29, who arrived in Maryland in 1813 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
McCabe Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Elizabeth McCabe, who arrived in Arkansas in 1905 6

McCabe migration to Canada +

McCabe Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • James McCabe, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1783
McCabe Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Richard McCabe, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1821
  • Francis McCabe, who landed in Canada in 1829
  • Eliza McCabe, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Michael McCabe, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • Mary McCabe, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCabe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Third Fleet
  • Miss Eleanor McCabe, (b. 1763), aged 24, Irish settler convicted in London on 11th May 1785, sentenced for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Prince of Wales" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 5
Following the Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

McCabe Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Alexander Mccabe, (b. 1773), aged 20, Irish convict who was convicted in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Boddingtons" on 15th February 1793, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1850 7
McCabe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Mccabe, (b. 1801), aged 21, Irish reaper who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. John Herbert McCabe who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • Mr. Robert Mccabe, (b. 1803), aged 31, English farm labourer who was convicted in Durham, England for life for highway robbery, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Margaret McCabe, who arrived in Glenelg Roads aboard the ship "Pestonjee Bomanjee" in 1838 11
  • Mr. Michael McCabe, British Convict who was convicted in Jamaica for 14 years, transported aboard the "Canton" on 20th September 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCabe 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:

McCabe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James McCabe, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Albert" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 6th March 1853 13
  • Charles Martin McCabe, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eagle" in 1854 14
  • Mr. Dunbar McCabe, Scottish settler travelling from Leith aboard the ship 'Melbourne' arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th March 1861 15
  • Mr. James Mccabe, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 13
  • Gratton McCabe, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Surat" in 1864
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCabe (post 1700) +

  • Frank Reilly McCabe (1927-2021), American gold medalist basketball player in the 1952 Summer Olympics
  • Arva Moore Parks McCabe (1939-2020), American historian, author and preservationist in Miami, Florida, inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame (1986)
  • Andrew George McCabe (b. 1968), American attorney and politician, Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2016-), Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2017), former Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2018)
  • Brigadier-General Edward Raynsford Warner McCabe (1876-1960), American Assistant Chief of Staff (G2) US Army (1937-1940) 16
  • Edward A. McCabe (b. 1917), Irish-born American aide to President Dwight Eisenhower
  • Edward P. McCabe (1850-1923), American politician
  • Eugene McCabe (1930-2020), Scottish-born Irish novelist, short story writer, playwright, and television screenwriter
  • Patrick McCabe (b. 1955), Irish novelist
  • Gerard McCabe (b. 1980), Northern Irish actor
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. James McCabe, British Fireman from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 17
  • Mr. Richard McCabe, British Trimmer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 18
  • Mr. Thomas McCabe, British Trimmer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 18
  • Mrs. J. H. Mccabe, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; she survived 18
  • Marian Hazel McCabe (1968-1989), English factory worker who was attending the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium, in Sheffield, Yorkshire when the stand allocated area became overcrowded and 96 people were crushed in what became known as the Hillsborough disaster and she died from her injuries 19
  • ... (Another 7 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The McCabe 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.

Suggested Readings for the name McCabe +

  • The Descendants of James McCabe and Ann Pettigrew by Allan Everett Marble.
  • McCabe-Wisel and Allied Families by Julia McCabe Hull.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  4. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  5. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  6. 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)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/boddingtons
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The PESTONJEE BOMANJEE 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838PestonjeeBomanjee.htm
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canton
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, February 12) Edward McCabe. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McCabe/Edward_Raynsford_Warner/USA.html
  17. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  18. California Digital Newspaper from 21st March 1905 (retrieved on 5th August 2021.) Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19050321.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
  19. Hillsborough Victims (retreived 21st March 2021). Retreived from https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/15/remembering-96-victims-hillsborough-disaster-30-years-9206566/

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