McCarten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The name McCarten has seen many modifications since the time in which it was first devised. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Artain, which means son of Art.

Early Origins of the McCarten family

The surname McCarten was first found in County Down (Irish:An Dún) part of the Province of Ulster, in Northern Ireland, formerly known as county St Mirren, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McCarten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCarten research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1350 and 1735 are included under the topic Early McCarten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCarten Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, was what guided scribes and church officials in recording names, a practice that often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname McCarten are preserved in documents that were examined for evidence of the family's history. The various spellings of McCarten included MacCartan, MacCarten, MacCartain, Carton and others.

Early Notables of the McCarten family

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

McCarten migration to the United States +

The 19th century brought a massive reduction in Ireland's population. It seemed that during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s the Irish people had two options: starve or immigrate. Those that chose the later frequently headed for the United States, hopeful for land, work, and equality. Those determined for free land joined the migration west; while others stayed behind to live in urban centers and often work in factories. Still others began a transitory life in work camps, building the bridges, canals, railways, and highways so critical to the rapidly development of the growing industrial nation. Early passenger and immigration lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the name McCarten:

McCarten Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Laughlin McCarten, who landed in New York in 1839 1
Charles McCarten, aged 20, who landed in America from Dublin, in 1893
Mrs. D. McCarten, aged 35, who landed in America, in 1895
D. McCarten, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1895
Thomas McCarten, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCarten Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles McCarten, aged 27, who immigrated to America from Tyrone, in 1900
Rose Ann McCarten, aged 20, who settled in America from Tyrone, in 1900
Frances McCarten, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England, in 1906
Blanche McCarten, aged 33, who settled in America, in 1907
Martha McCarten, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Leitrim, Ireland, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCarten migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCarten Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Dennis McCarten, aged 54, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland

Contemporary Notables of the name McCarten (post 1700) +

Vincent McCarten (1913-1993), New Zealand cricketer
Anthony McCarten (b. 1961), New Zealand novelist, playwright and filmmaker
James Phillip McCarten (b. 1990), English professional footballer
Matthew "Matt" McCarten (b. 1959), New Zealand political organiser

The McCarten 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: Buailim se
Motto Translation: I Strike him.

Citations +

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)