Show ContentsMcCormack History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

McCormack is one of the proud Scottish names to come from the Strathclyde clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the Gaelic name MacChormaig, which derives from the given name Cormac, meaning charioteer.

Early Origins of the McCormack family

The surname McCormack was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McCormack family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCormack research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1132, 1733, 1750, 1756, 1757, 1758, 1794, 1799, 1811, 1865 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCormack History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCormack Spelling Variations

The many spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names result from the fact that scribes in that era spelled words according to sound. Translation too, was an undeveloped science, and many names were altered into complete obscurity. Over the years McCormack has been spelled MacCormack, MacCormick, MacCormock, McCormick, McCormack, McCormock, Maccormick, Maccormack, Maccormock, McArmick, McCarmick, McCarmike, McKermick, Makarmik, McCornick, Cornick, Cormack, M'Kernock, MacCornack and many more.

Early Notables of the McCormack family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Joseph MacCormick (1733-1799), Scottish divine, son of John Maccormick, a minister at St. Andrews, born in that town 22 Jan. 1733. He graduated M.A. at St. Andrews University in 1750 and was granted a bursary in theology from the university exchequer in the same year. After serving for some years...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCormack Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCormack World Ranking

In the United States, the name McCormack is the 2,412nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name McCormack is ranked the 424th most popular surname with an estimated 8,806 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name McCormack is the 733rd popular surname with an estimated 982 people with that name. 3 The United Kingdom ranks McCormack as 787th with 8,582 people. 4

Ireland Migration of the McCormack family to Ireland

Some of the McCormack family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 200 words (14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McCormack migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainties and discrimination faced in Scotland, many decided to head out for North America. Once they arrived, many Scots fought with relish in the American War of Independence; some went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Many ancestors of these Scots have recovered their lost national heritage in the 20th century through Clan organizations and Scottish historical societies. Among the settlers to North America were:

McCormack Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Dennis McCormack, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1654 5
McCormack Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Lawrence McCormack, aged 40, who landed in Tennessee in 1812 5
  • Henry McCormack, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1836 5
  • Philip McCormack, aged 23, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1843 5
  • Thomas McCormack, aged 26, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1843 5
  • Mary McCormack, aged 26, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada McCormack migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCormack Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Duncan McCormack, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
McCormack Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James McCormack, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Catherine McCormack, aged 25, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Elenor McCormack, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1840
  • Mrs. Catherine McCormack, aged 25 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Champion" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 6
  • Mr. John McCormack, aged 64 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Erin's Queen" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia McCormack migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McCormack Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Isabella McCormack, English convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Canada" in March 1810, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Miss Rose Mccormack, (McCormick), (b. 1804), aged 22, Irish convict who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Patrick McCormack, British convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. Bernard Mccormack, Irish convict who was convicted in Galway, Ireland for 10 years for theft, transported aboard the "Duke of Richmond" on 21st September 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • Mr. Patrick Mccormack, (b. 1828), aged 15, Irish convict who was convicted in Galway, Ireland for theft, transported aboard the "Duke of Richmond" on 21st September 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1909 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand McCormack 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:

McCormack Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John McCormack, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Seringapatam" in 1856
  • Mrs. Catherine Mccormack, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 11
  • Miss Ellen Mccormack, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 11
  • Mr. Owen Mccormack, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 11
  • Miss Ann Mccormack, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCormack (post 1700) +

  • John Brendan McCormack (1935-2021), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Manchester from 1998 until 2011
  • James P. McCormack, American Democratic Party politician, Judge of New York Supreme Court 10th District, 2017 12
  • Keith McCormack (1940-2015), American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for co-writing "Sugar Shack" with his aunt which sold over one million copies in the United States in 1963
  • William Jerome McCormack (1924-2013), American Prelate of Roman Catholic Church
  • Michael Joseph "Mike" McCormack (1930-2013), American NFL football player and coach, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984
  • Patty McCormack (b. 1945), American Academy Award nominated actress
  • Eric James McCormack (b. 1963), Canadian-born, American actor, musician, writer and producer
  • Sean McCormack, former United States Assistant Secretary of State (2005 to 2009)
  • Charles K. McCormack, American politician, Mayor of Albany, Oregon, 1953-56 12
  • Charles J. McCormack (d. 1915), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Richmond County, 1903; Borough President of Richmond, New York, 1914-15 12
  • ... (Another 43 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Halsted
  • Mr. Patrick McCormack (b. 1909), British Royal Navy stocker 1st class was stationed aboard the "HMS Halsted" when it was struck by torpedo by Jaguar and Mowe of the Cherbourg coast on 11th June 1944, he did not survive
Mount Mulligan Mine
  • Rowland McCormack, Australian coal miner who was killed in the Mount Mulligan Mine explosion in 1921
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Donald Mccormack, English Assistant Telegraphist from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 13
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Thomas Joseph McCormack, aged 19, American Third Class passenger from Bayonne, New Jersey who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived in the sinking in life boat 15 14


  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. 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)
  6. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 43)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-richmond
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  13. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  14. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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