| ![Show Contents]() McCleland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland Ireland The ancestors of the McCleland family lived among the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. Their name is derived from the son of the servant of Fillan. Fillan is derived from the word fail which means wolf. In Gaelic, the name was spelled Mac Gill Fhaolain Early Origins of the McCleland familyThe surname McCleland was first found in the former counties of Kirkcudbrightshire and Galloway where Chief Duncan MacLellan appears in a charter of Alexander II in 1217. Other early records of the surname include Gilbert M'Lolane, who lived around the year 1270. Gilbert's son Patrick, along with several others, took the castle of Dumfries from the supporters of Robert the Bruce in around 1305. Gilelbertus MacLelan was elected Bishop of Man and the Sudreys in 1325 and held the position for almost 3 years. Early History of the McCleland familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCleland research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1347, 1450, 1457, 1466, 1513, 1547, 1597, 1633, 1641, 1647 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCleland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McCleland Spelling VariationsThe variation in the spelling of Medieval names is a result of the lack of spelling rules in the English language prior to the last few hundred years. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound, often varying the spelling of name within a single document. McCleland has appeared as MacClelland, McClellan, MacLellan, McLellan, MacLelland, McLelland, MacClelland, McClelland, Clelland and many more. Early Notables of the McCleland familyNotable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was Sir William Maclellan of Bombie, knighted by King James IV of Scotland, who fought for the king in the losing Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. According to folklore, McLellan threw his gauntlet at the king's feet, shook his fist and...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCleland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the McCleland family to Ireland
Some of the McCleland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| McCleland migration to the United States | + |
As the persecution of Clan families continued, they sailed for North America in increasing numbers. In most cases, they found the freedom and opportunity they sought. Land was often available and the American War of Independence allowed Scots an opportunity to solidify their independence from the English crown. These settlers and their ancestors went on to play essential roles in the forging of the nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:
McCleland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Andrew McCleland, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 1
- Robert McCleland, who landed in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1685 1
McCleland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- William McCleland, aged 50, who arrived in New York in 1812 1
- John McCleland, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1812 1
- James McCleland, aged 32, who landed in America in 1822 1
- David McCleland, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 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)
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McCleland migration to the United States 
