Show ContentsMcLagan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of McLagan

What does the name McLagan mean?

The ancestors of the name McLagan stretch back to a family in the Boernician tribe of ancient Scotland. They lived in Logan, near Auchinleck. These place names derive from the Gaelic word lagan, from lag meaning "a hollow." 1

Early Origins of the McLagan family

The surname McLagan was first found in Ayrshire where they first appeared in the records in the village of Logan in 1204. A number of Logans swore an oath of allegiance to Edward I of England when he conquered Scotland in 1296: Thurbrend Logan (Lord of Crougar), Lord of Crougar in Cunningham; Phillip Logan of Montrose; Walter Logan of Lanarkshire; and Andrew Logan of Wigtown. 1

In 1329, Sir Robert Logan and Sir Walter Logan were killed in Spain while accompanying Sir James Douglas to the Holy Land with the heart of Bruce (thus the Clan's Crest). They were attempting to fulfill Robert the Bruce's request to have his heart buried in the Holy Land.

Early History of the McLagan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McLagan research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1424, 1555, 1573, 1606, 1609, 1635, 1653, 1665, 1669, 1671, 1674, 1688, 1699, 1700, 1701, 1712, 1718, 1729, 1730, 1733, 1736, 1740, 1751, 1776, 1778, 1784, 1798, 1814, 1817, 1842, 1851, 1875 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McLagan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McLagan Spelling Variations

Spelling rules only evolved in the last few centuries with the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries. Spelling variations are extremely common in names from before that period. McLagan has been spelled Logan, Loggan, Loganaich, MacLennan and many more.

Early Notables of the McLagan family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was James Logan (1674-1751), William Penn's agent in America and man of science, born at his father's house at Lurgan, co. Armagh, 20 Oct. 1674, was son of Patrick Logan, a grandson of Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig. He came to know Penn, who persuaded him to accompany him to Pennsylvania as his secretary. They sailed in September, and landed in Philadelphia in December 1699, and Logan lived in the same house in Second Street with Penn until the latter in 1701 finally returned to England. Logan was then made secretary to...
Another 209 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McLagan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McLagan family to Ireland

Some of the McLagan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


McLagan migration to the United States +

After making their great crossing, many Boernician-Scottish families settled along the east coast of North America. When the War of Independence broke out, United Empire Loyalists moved north to Canada while the rest stayed to fight. The ancestors of many of these Scots still populate the continent. This century, through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations, they began to rediscover their collective national heritage. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name McLagan or a variant listed above:

McLagan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Alex. McLagan, aged 50, who settled in America, in 1893
McLagan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Donald McLagan, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1907
  • Thomas S. McLagan, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1909
  • Isabella McLagan, aged 45, who settled in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1912
  • James Cuthbert McLagan, aged 23, who landed in America from Perth, Scotland, in 1912
  • Charlotte McLagan, aged 11, who landed in America from Dundee, Ireland, in 1913
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McLagan migration to Australia +

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

McLagan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Elizabeth Mclagan, (Forbes), (b. 1798), aged 39, Scottish house maid who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years for uttering forged notes, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2

McLagan 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:

McLagan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Peter McLagan, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 14th October 1860 3
  • Mr. Alexander McLagan, Scottish settler from Comrie travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th April 1860 4

Contemporary Notables of the name McLagan (post 1700) +

  • Ian William Patrick "Mac"' McLagan (1945-2014), English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces
  • Sara Anne McLagan (1856-1924), Canadian newspaper publisher
  • Peter McLagan (1823-1900), British politician
  • Kim McLagan (1948-2006), née Maryse Elizabeth Patricia Kerrigan, English model, former wife of Keith Moon
  • John James Campbell McLagan (1838-1901), Scottish-born, Canadian newspaper publisher
  • Jennifer McLagan, Australian-born, Canadian chef and food writer
  • Angus McLagan (1891-1956), New Zealand politician of the Labour Party


The McLagan 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: Hoc majorum virtus
Motto Translation: This is the valour of my ancestors.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook