McKelar is an ancient Scottish name that was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is a name for someone who lived at Keilor, in Angus.
Early Origins of the McKelar family
The surname McKelar was first found in
Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern
Scotland, and present day Council Area of
Angus, formerly known as Forfar or
Forfarshire, where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the McKelar family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKelar research.
Another 249 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1476, 1383 and 1797 are included under the topic Early McKelar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McKelar Spelling Variations
In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason
spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. McKelar has been spelled Keller, Kellar, Keeler, Keilor, Keiler, Keillor, Keiller, Kelour, MacKeller and many more.
Early Notables of the McKelar family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early McKelar Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McKelar family to Ireland
Some of the McKelar family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 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 McKelar family to the New World and Oceana
Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American
War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to
England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and
Clan societies. Among them: Adam Keller arrived in Philadelphia in 1840.