Show ContentsMcGan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

McGan Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of McGan

What does the name McGan mean?

The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McGan family. The root of their name is the given name Ian or John. John is the most common personal name in the Highlands. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Iain.

Early Origins of the McGan family

The surname McGan 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.

Early History of the McGan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGan research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1292, 1340, 1618, 1667, 1717, 1777, 1808, 1875 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McGan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McGan has appeared in various documents spelled MacIan, MacAne, MacKane, MacKean, MacKain and others.

Early Notables of the McGan family

Archibald McKain (1717-1777), Scottish Shoemaker and Burgess of Elgin, Morayshire, who became the 15th Chief of MacIain of Ardnamurchan. Also of note was Thomas M'kean of Delaware, one of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence. John Canne (d. 1667?), was an English divine and printer and "may...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McGan family to Ireland

Some of the McGan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGan migration to the United States +

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name McGan or a variant listed above:

McGan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John McGan, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 1
  • Sarah McGan, aged 2, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 1
  • Elinor McGan, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 1
  • Elizabeth McGan, aged 30, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 1
  • James McGan, aged 55, who arrived in New York in 1812 1

McGan migration to Australia +

McGan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Alexander McGan, aged 11, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Duchess of Northumberland"
  • Michael McGan, aged 40, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, South Australia aboard the "Hesperus" in 1883
  • Anne McGan, aged 38, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, South Australia aboard the "Hesperus" in 1883
  • Martin McGan, aged 11, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, South Australia aboard the "Hesperus" in 1883
  • John McGan, aged 9, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, South Australia aboard the "Hesperus" in 1883
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McGan 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:

McGan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mary McGan, aged 31, a cook, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dunedin" in 1875 2

The McGan 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: In hope I byde
  1. 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)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 9th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

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