McEnley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McEnley

What does the name McEnley mean?

On the Scottish west coast, the McEnley family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the personal name Finlay. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Fionnlaigh, which means son of Finlay. Thus, McEnley is a cognate of the surname Finlayson.

Early Origins of the McEnley family

The surname McEnley was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where the surname is still commonly found around Glenlyon and Balquhidder. The earliest known record of the name is from 1493, when Gillaspyk M'Kynlay witnessed legal proceedings involving Archibald, Earl of Argyll.

Early History of the McEnley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McEnley research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1675, 1700 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McEnley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McEnley Spelling Variations

In various documents McEnley has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacKinley, MacKinlay, MacKindlay, MacKinly, MacKindley and many more.

Early Notables of the McEnley family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McEnley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McEnley family to Ireland

Some of the McEnley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McEnley family

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Alexander, John and Richard McKinlay, who settled in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860; Alexander, David, Denis, George, Hugh, James, John, Mary, Samuel, Thomas and William McKinley all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1870.

The McEnley 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: Amo
Motto Translation: I love.