McColligan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of McColligan

What does the name McColligan mean?

While the Anglicized versions of Irish names are familiar to most people, all Irish names have a long and proud Gaelic heritage that is often unknown. The original Gaelic form of the name McColligan is "O Cuileagain."

Early Origins of the McColligan family

The surname McColligan was first found in County Londonderry (Irish: Doire), a Northern Irish county also known as Derry, in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McColligan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McColligan research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McColligan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McColligan Spelling Variations

The search for the origins of the name McColligan family name revealed numerous spelling variations. These variants can be somewhat accounted for when it is realized that before widespread literacy people only recognized their name by pronunciation; it was up to scribes to decide how it was to be formally recorded. Variations found include Culligan, Colligan, Quilligan, O'Quilligan, O'Culligan, O'Colligan, Coligan, Culigan, Colgan and many more.

Early Notables of the McColligan family

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

McColligan migration to Australia +

McColligan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William McColligan, (b. 1819), aged 16, British Labourer who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 1

Contemporary Notables of the name McColligan (post 1700) +

Brian McColligan (b. 1980), Scottish footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Bathgate Thistle

The McColligan 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: Virtus probata florescit
Motto Translation: Tried virtue flourishes.

Sources +

Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835