The many centuries old Dalriadan-Scottish name McElhannon comes from the Gaelic expression "the son of the servant Storm."
The surname McElhannon was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, 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.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McElhannon research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1428 is included under the topic Early McElhannon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. McElhannon has been spelled MacAloney, McAloney, MacAlonie, McAlonie, MacIlhenny, McIlhenny, MacIlhinny, McIlhinny, MacIlhiney, McIlhiney, MacIlhinney, McIlhinney, MacIldowney, McIldowney, MacIldownie, McIldownie, MacGilloney, McGilloney, MacGillonie, McGillonie, MacAlloon, McAlloon, MacAlooni, McAlooni, MacElheaney, McElheaney, MacElhiney, McElhiney, MacElhinney and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early McElhannon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name McElhannon is the 18,092nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]
Some of the McElhannon 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.
Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the McElhannon family emigrate to North America: James MacAloonie who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1868; Denis, James, Pat and Thomas MacAloon all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.