McKernin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of McKernin

The original Gaelic form of McKernin was Mac Thighearnain, which is derived from the word "tighearna," which means "lord."

Early Origins of the McKernin family

Early History of the McKernin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKernin research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKernin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKernin Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname McKernin are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Kiernan, MacKiernan, Tiernan, McKernan, McKernon, McKernin, McKernen and many more.

Early Notables of the McKernin family

More information is included under the topic Early McKernin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McKernin family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name McKernin or a variant listed above, including: Hugh Kiernan who arrived in Philadelphia in 1802; followed by James in 1826; Charles, James, John, Michael, Patrick, Thomas Kiernan all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870.