| ![Show Contents]() McErlane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of McErlaneWhat does the name McErlane mean? MacErlean is a phonetic interpretation of the Irish Mac an Fhirléighinn, which means the "son of the learned man or lector," from the Gaelic "fear léighinn 'man of reading'." This was the title held by the head of a monastic school. 1 It is important to note that this name hails from ancient Ireland, but by the 12th century can be found in Ireland and Scotland as "the firleighinn or ferleighinn was the head of a monastic school both in Scotland and in Ireland. In Iona in 1164, we find Ferleighinn Dubside as one of the officials of the monastery, and in the following century the name is still preserved in connection with the church of St. Andrews." 2 Early Origins of the McErlane familyThe surname McErlane was first found in near Sligo town, County Sligo (Irish: Sligeach), in the province of Connacht in Northwestern Ireland, in the 15th century. In Scotland, "the name occurs as Virolecus in Adamnan as that of a man in Airchartdan (Glen Urquhart) baptized by the saint during his visit there. About 1211 Laurence, archdeacon and ferlan, head of the schools of St. Andrews, appears in connection with a dispute with the prior and canons; his title is Latinized Fertanus and Ferleynus. Morice Macinnn egin obtained possession of the perpetual vicarage of S. Comanus's in Ila after he had become excommunicate. In 1443 Donald, son of Dominic Macnafirlegind, perpetual vicar of S. Comanus's (Kilchoman), evidently a relative, was accused of being "a notorious fornicator." On the Kilchoman Cross is the inscription: Hec est crux foc(ta) pro animabus Doncani mec Innirlegin et Mari et Michaelis, "This is a cross made for the souls of Duncan, son of the lector and Mary and Michael." Its date may be about 1420 or 1430." 2 Early History of the McErlane familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McErlane research. Another 27 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1603 and 1660 are included under the topic Early McErlane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McErlane Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: MacErlean, MacErlen, MacErlyn, McErlean, McErlane, McErlain, McErlenn, MacNerlin and many more. Early Notables of the McErlane familyAnother 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McErlane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| McErlane migration to the United States | + |
McErlane Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- James McErlane, who immigrated to New York in 1851
| McErlane 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: McErlane Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Henry McErlane, (b. 1954), aged 22, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Pomona" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1876 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name McErlane (post 1700) | + |
- James McErlane, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 2008
- MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
- 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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