Contents [hide]

McCracken History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

McCracken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Early Origins of the McCracken family

The surname McCracken was first found in Wigtown (Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhaile na h-Uige), formerly a county in southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway.

However, there is much dispute to the origin of the family. "Various explanations have been given of the origin of this name, the most likely of which is that it is "nothing but a variant owing to the action of two well-known dialectal processes of the name Macnauchton." Settlements from Argyll into Galloway were made about the middle of the eighth century and later, and Watson has pointed out that with regard to dedications in Galloway that there was a close connection between this region and Kintyre." 1

Spellings were very varied as we found: "Michael Makcraken was a follower of the earl of Cassilis respited for murder, 1526. Gilbert M'Crekane was burgess of Wigtown, and Michael M'Crekane notary public there, 1536, and burgess, 1546. John M'Crekane was vicar of Sorbie, 1536, notary public in Wigtown, 1539, and commissary of Fames and Rennys, 1542-1545." 1

Early History of the McCracken family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCracken research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1526, 1536, 1540, 1628, 1767, 1791, 1796, 1798 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCracken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCracken Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacCracken, MacCrachen, MacCrackan, MacCrackin and others.

Early Notables of the McCracken family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Henry Joy McCracken (1767-1798), "United Irishman, was born in Belfast on 31 Aug...

McCracken Ranking

In the United States, the name McCracken is the 1,754^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 2

Migration of the McCracken family to Ireland

Some of the McCracken family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCracken migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCracken Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John McCracken, aged 72, who landed in New York in 1812 3
Hugh McCracken, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1820 3
James McCracken, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1840 3
Alexander McCracken, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1840 3
Robert McCracken, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCracken Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Catherine McCracken, aged 17, who settled in America from Ireland, in 1904
Bertie McCracken, aged 5, who immigrated to the United States from Antrim, in 1906
Basil McCracken, aged 5, who landed in America from Belfast, Ireland, in 1907
Allen McCracken, aged 19, who landed in America from Scotland, in 1909
Annie McCracken, aged 37, who landed in America from Greenock, Scotland, in 1914
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCracken migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCracken Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Susan McCracken, aged 35, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
Mrs. Mary McCracken, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Free Trader" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 4
Mr. William McCracken, aged 1 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Sisters" departing 22nd April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 20th June 1847 but he died on board 5

McCracken Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Alexander McCracken, aged 44, who immigrated to Ottawa, Canada, in 1918
Annie McCracken, aged 36, who settled in Toronto, Canada, in 1920

McCracken migration to Australia +

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

McCracken Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr.Edward Mccracken, (b. 1796), aged 23, Irish groom who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1836 6
B. McCracken, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cheapside" in 1849 7
Benjamin McCracken, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Cheapside" 7
Andrew McCracken, aged 40, a weaver, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Duchess of Northumberland"
John McCracken, aged 17, a weaver, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Duchess of Northumberland"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCracken 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:

McCracken Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander Mccracken, (b. 1860), aged 2 months, Scottish settler, from Ayrshire travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 8
Mr. Alexander Mccracken, (b. 1833), aged 28, Scottish ploughman, from Ayrshire travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 8
Mrs. Jean Mccracken, (b. 1842), aged 19, Scottish settler, from Ayrshire travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 8
William McCracken, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
Alfred McCracken, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Loch Fleet" in 1878
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCracken (post 1700) +

Bob McCracken, American actor and director, known for Hawaii Five-0 (2010), NCIS: New Orleans (2014) and Here and Now (2018)
Josephine Clifford McCracken (1839-1921), born Josephine Woempner, German-born, American writer and journalist who wrote articles for Harper Brothers and for the newspapers Out West and Western Field; she married Joseph McCracken, a former Arizona congressman in 1882
Daniel D. McCracken (1930-2011), American computer scientist, Professor of Computer Sciences at the City College of New York
Robert Edward "Bert" McCracken (b. 1982), American lead singer and songwriter of the rock band The Used
Branch McCracken (1908-1970), American Indiana University Basketball Coach, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960, inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006
Quinton McCracken (b. 1970), American Major League Baseball player who played from 1995 to 2006
Paul Winston McCracken (1915-2012), American economist, Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisors from 1969 to 1971
Josiah Calvin McCracken (1874-1962), American silver and bronze medalist athlete at the 1900 Olympic Games
Joan McCracken (1917-1961), American dancer, actress, and comedian, best known for her role in the original 1943 production of Oklahoma!, wife of dancer and choreographer Bob Fosse
G. Herbert McCracken (1899-1995), American college football player and coach, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1973)
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
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)
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. 86)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The CHEAPSIDE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Cheapside.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html