Show ContentsMcKeague History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of McKeague

What does the name McKeague mean?

The original Gaelic form of McKeague was Mac Taidh or Ó Taidhg.

Early Origins of the McKeague family

The surname McKeague was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the McKeague family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKeague research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1493, 1583, 1589, 1772 and 1810 are included under the topic Early McKeague History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKeague Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name McKeague dating from that time include MacTeige, McTeige, MacTigue, McTigue, MacCaig, MacCaige, McCaig, McCaige, MacKaig, McKaig, MacKeague, McKeague, McKeage, MacTague and many more.

Early Notables of the McKeague family

Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKeague Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


McKeague migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name McKeague:

McKeague Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James, John, Daniel, George, John, and Thomas McKeague, who landed in Philadelphia between 1810 and 1848
  • Bridget McKeague, aged 18, who arrived in New York in 1864 1
  • Mary McKeague, aged 22, who landed in New York in 1864 1

McKeague migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McKeague Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Patrick Mckeague, (b. 1823), aged 15, Irish talior's apprentice who was convicted in County Tyrone, Ireland for 10 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

McKeague 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:

McKeague Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William McKeague, aged 34, a butcher, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • Ellen McKeague, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • Mary J. McKeague, aged 4, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • James D. McKeague, aged 2, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • Margaret McKeague, aged 8 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name McKeague (post 1700) +

  • David William McKeague (b. 1946), American Republican politician, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Michigan (1992-1995), Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2005-) 3
  • Kevin McKeague, Irish hurler for Antrim (2011-)
  • John Dunlop McKeague (1930-1982), Ulster loyalist and one of the founding members of the paramilitary group the Red Hand Commando in 1970; he was shot dead by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) in Belfast in January 1982


The McKeague 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: Summum nec metuam diem nec optem
Motto Translation: May I neither dread nor desire the last day.


  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. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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