McGreggor Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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On the western coast of Scotland and on the Hebrides islands the McGreggor family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the given name Gregory. The Gaelic form of the name was Mac Griogain, which translates as son of Gregory.

McGreggor Early Origins

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The surname McGreggor 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, as their origins can be traced back to Griogair, son of the eighth century King Alpin of Scotland, the High King of the Scots and Picts who died in 860 AD. Hence, their famous motto translates from Gaelic as 'Royal is my blood.' They are the principal branch of the Siol Alpine whose representative, King Kenneth the Hardy, was son of MacAlpin, the first King of the Scots.

McGreggor Spelling Variations

In various documents McGreggor has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacGregor, MacGrigor, MacGrioghair (Gaelic) and others.

McGreggor Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGreggor research. Another 813 words (58 lines of text) covering the years 1587, 1000, 1603, 1603, 1888, 1671, 1734 and are included under the topic Early McGreggor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGreggor Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McGreggor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGreggor In Ireland

Some of the McGreggor family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name McGreggor or a variant listed above:

McGreggor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Archibald McGreggor, aged 33, who landed in North Carolina in 1813 ^[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)

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: 'S Rioghal Mo Dhream
Motto Translation: Royal is my blood.

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Citations

^ 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)

Other References

Hinde, Thomas Ed. The Domesday Book England's Heritage Then and Now. Surrey: Colour Library Books, 1995. Print. (ISBN 1-85833-440-3).
Warner, Philip Warner. Famous Scottish Battles. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1996. Print. (ISBN 0-76070-004-4).
Papworth, J.W and A.W Morant. Ordinary of British Armorials. London: T.Richards, 1874. Print.
Prebble, John. The Highland Clearances. London: Secker & Warburg, 1963. Print.
Barrow, G.W.S Ed. The Charters of David I The Written Acts of David I King of Scots, 1124-53 and of His Son Henry, Earl of Northumerland, 1139-52. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 1999. Print.
Egle, William Henry. Pennsylvania Genealogies Scotch-Irish and German. Harrisburg: L.S. Hart, 1886. Print.
Markale, J. Celtic Civilization. London: Gordon & Cremonesi, 1976. Print.
Bain, Robert. The Clans and Tartans of Scotland. Glasgow & London: Collins, 1968. Print. (ISBN 000411117-6).
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
Bowman, George Ernest. The Mayflower Reader A Selection of Articales from The Mayflower Descendent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
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The McGreggor Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The McGreggor Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 24 April 2017 at 22:34.