McInteer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Scotland
• Ireland

Etymology of McInteer

McInteer is a name that evolved among the descendants of the people of the kingdom of Dalriada in ancient Scotland. It is a name for a person who worked as a carpenter or wright. The Gaelic form Mac an t-saoir means son of the carpenter. Most historians agree that their earliest habitations were on MacDonald territories on Kintyre. Most legends about their beginnings point to an origin in the Hebrides. From this point on, opinions differ. One legend has the Clan-an-t-Saor (Children of the Carpenter) arriving in Lorne in a galley with a white cow, another says that the galley, set adrift, developed a leak below the water line and the MacDonald Chieftain placed his thumb in the hole to keep the boat afloat. Spotting help at a distance, he cut off his thumb so that he could wave. He was ironically named the Carpenter or MacIntyre. Some claim that the family derived its name from a member of the MacDonalds who was called Cean-tire because of his ownership of lands on the peninsula of Kintyre.

McInteer Coat of Arms Creation

The crest of this clan is a hand holding a dagger, and their motto, " Per Ardua" (Through difficulties), probably because they had success only by hard work.

There are two legends as to how they got the name Macintyre. One is that at Creich, in Sutherland, one of the Clan Donald built a fort so well that he became known as "An Saor," Gaelic for "the carpenter," and his son as "Mac-an-shaor," which is pronounced very like Macintyre.

The other story is that in coming over from Ireland the plug in the bottom of the boat was displaced and thrown overboard as they were baling. Having nothing handy to stop the in rushing water, the first Macintyre thrust his thumb into the hole, and when he found that his services were urgently needed in another part of the boat, he chopped it off, and the thumbless one was afterwards known as "An Saor." Perhaps it is to commemorate this that they have a galley with sails furled in their armorial bearings. 1

Early Origins of the McInteer family

Early History of the McInteer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McInteer research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1543, 1597, 1890, 1955 and 1991 are included under the topic Early McInteer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McInteer Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. McInteer has been spelled MacIntyre, MacIntire, MacIntre and many more.

Early Notables of the McInteer family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McInteer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McInteer family to Ireland

Some of the McInteer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 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 McInteer family

Scottish settlers arrived in many of the communities that became the backbones of the United States and Canada. Many stayed, but some headed west for the endless open country of the prairies. In the American War of Independence, many Scots who remained loyal to England re-settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots across North America were able to recover much of their lost heritage in the 20th century as Clan societies and highland games sprang up across North America. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first McInteers to arrive on North American shores: Angus McIntire settled in New York in 1739; along with Donald; Anne, Duncan, John, Margaret, Archibald, McIntire settled in Wilmington N.C. in 1775; Hugh McIntire settled in Virginia in 1716.