Show ContentsMcEachern History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In the mountains of Scotland's west coast and on the Hebrides islands, the ancestors of the McEachern family were born. Their name comes from person who was skilled in the riding of horses or who owned many horses. The Gaelic form of the name was Mac Eachthighearna, which translates as son of the horse-lord. 1

Early Origins of the McEachern family

The surname McEachern was first found in Kintyre, where "on the shaft of the cross at Kilkerran near Campbeltown, is the inscription: Hec est: crvx: Coleni: Mc: Heachyrna: et Katirine: uxoris: eivs (Drummond, Sculptured monuments of Iona, pl. lxxxi). This is probably Colin MacEachern who was chief of the Macecherns in 1499." 1

Early History of the McEachern family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McEachern research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1499, 1505, 1506, 1507, 1512, 1515, 1541, 1596, 1605, 1647, 1659, 1662, 1682, 1684, 1694, 1769, 1788, 1798, 1801, 1806, 1814, 1818, 1847, 1849 and 1888 are included under the topic Early McEachern History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McEachern Spelling Variations

Spelling variations are a very common occurrence in records of early Scottish names. They result from the repeated and inaccurate translations that many names went through in the course of various English occupations of Scotland. McEachern has been spelled MacEachern, MacEachen, MacEachan, MacEachin, MacEachren and many more.

Early Notables of the McEachern family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Evan MacEachen (1769-1849), Gaelic scholar, born at Arisaig, Invernessshire, in 1769, was educated in a school at Ruthven, near Keith. He was sent in 1788 to the Scots College at Valladolid, where he was ordained priest in 1798. On his return to the mission he was stationed at Arisaig. In 1801 he was removed to Badenoch...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McEachern Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McEachern Ranking

In the United States, the name McEachern is the 6,689th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Migration of the McEachern family to Ireland

Some of the McEachern family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


McEachern migration to the United States +

Scottish settlers arrived in many of the communities that became the backbones of the United States and Canada. Many stayed, but some headed west for the endless open country of the prairies. In the American War of Independence, many Scots who remained loyal to England re-settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots across North America were able to recover much of their lost heritage in the 20th century as Clan societies and highland games sprang up across North America. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first McEacherns to arrive on North American shores:

McEachern Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Arch'd McEachern, who arrived in New York, NY in 1738 3
  • Archibald McEachern, who landed in New York in 1738 3
  • Donald McEachern, who arrived in New York in 1738 3
  • Florence McEachern, who arrived in New York in 1738 3
  • Mary McEachern, who arrived in New York in 1738 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
McEachern Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert McEachern, who arrived in New York, NY in 1832 3

McEachern migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McEachern Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Duncan McEachern U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 4
McEachern Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Mary McEachern, Scottish settler who arrived in Churchill in 1812 before arriving in the Red River, Canada in 1814 3
  • Hector McEachern, who arrived in Canada in 1812
  • Malcolm McEachern, Scottish settler who arrived in Churchill in 1812 before arriving in the Red River, Canada in 1814

Contemporary Notables of the name McEachern (post 1700) +

  • James Marshall McEachern (1881-1969), Canadian-born, American track and field athlete at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics
  • Lon McEachern, American sports broadcaster
  • Shawn K. McEachern (b. 1969), American ice hockey coach and former professional NHL ice hockey player
  • Michael McEachern (b. 1986), Canadian professional CFL football defensive back from Calgary, Alberta
  • Chase McEachern (d. 2006), Canadian boy from Barrie Ontario who campaigned to have mandatory heart defibrillators at schools and hockey arenas, he died from cardiac arrest before he could see the achievement, eponym of the Chase McEachern Act which introduced 1,000 defibrillators to Ontario venues
  • Emmanuel McEachern (1816-1875), Canadian farmer and politician who represented 1st Kings in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in the late 1800s
  • Alex McEachern (1986-1993), Canadian politician, MLA for Edmonton-Kingsway, Alberta
  • Ken McEachern (b. 1953), former professional Canadian CFL football player for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts
  • Walter Malcom Neil McEachern (1883-1945), noted Australian bass singer from Albury, New South Wales
  • Brigadier Cranston Albury McEachern (1905-1983), Australian Commander Royal Artillery 8th Australian Infantry Division (Malaya) from 1941 to 1942 5
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Halifax Explosion
  • Mrs. Mary Jane  McEachern (1861-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 6
  • Mrs. Muriel  McEachern (1894-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 6
  • Miss Jesse  McEachern (1903-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 6


The McEachern 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: Per mare per terras
Motto Translation: By sea and by land.


Suggested Readings for the name McEachern +

  • The Family of Daniel and Mary McEachern of Carroll County, Mississippi by Sally Stone Trotter.

  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, August 30) Cranston McEachern. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McEachern/Cranston_Albury/Australia.html
  6. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance


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