McNisse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McNisse

What does the name McNisse mean?

The McNisse family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name McNisse is derived from the personal name Naos, which is a dialectal form of Aonghus or Angus. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Neis, which is derived from the earlier form Mac Naois; both of these mean son of Angus. Thus, the name McNisse is a cognate of MacAngus and MacInnes.

Early Origins of the McNisse family

The surname McNisse 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 they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McNisse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNisse research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1522 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McNisse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McNisse Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of McNisse include MacNeish, MacNeice, MacNish, MacNess, MacKness, MacNeece and many more.

Early Notables of the McNisse family

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

Migration of the McNisse family to Ireland

Some of the McNisse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 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 McNisse family

The hardy Scots who made the crossing settled all along the east coast of North America and in the great west that was just then opening up. At the time of the American War of Independence, many United Empire Loyalists moved north from the American colonies to Canada. Scottish national heritage became better known in North America in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic events. An examination of immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name McNisse arrived in North America very early: Thomas McNeish, who settled in Philadelphia in 1868; Michael McNish settled in Philadelphia in 1866.

The McNisse 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: Animo non astutia
Motto Translation: By courage, not by craft.