McKenley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McKenley

What does the name McKenley mean?

The McKenley family history stretches back to the clans of the Dalriadan kingdom on the sea-swept Hebrides islands and mountainous western coast of Scotland. The name McKenley is derived from the personal name Finlay. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Fionnlaigh, which means son of Finlay. Thus, McKenley is a cognate of the surname Finlayson.

Early Origins of the McKenley family

The surname McKenley was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where the surname is still commonly found around Glenlyon and Balquhidder. The earliest known record of the name is from 1493, when Gillaspyk M'Kynlay witnessed legal proceedings involving Archibald, Earl of Argyll.

Early History of the McKenley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKenley research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1675, 1700 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McKenley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKenley Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. McKenley has been written as MacKinley, MacKinlay, MacKindlay, MacKinly, MacKindley and many more.

Early Notables of the McKenley family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKenley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McKenley family to Ireland

Some of the McKenley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKenley migration to the United States +

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name McKenley or a variant listed above include:

McKenley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Agnes McKenley, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 1
Duncan McKenley, who arrived in Virginia in 1776 1

The McKenley 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: Amo
Motto Translation: I love.

Sources +

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)