McPhillips History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Wales
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the name McPhillips were the ancient Britons that inhabited in the hills and Moors of Wales. This surname was derived from the personal name Philip. This name, which was usually Latinized as Philippus, was originally derived from the Greek name Philippos. This Greek name was composed of the words "philein," which means "to love," and "hippos," which means "horse." The personal name Philip owed its popularity to the medieval romances about Alexander the Great, whose father was Philip of Macedon.

Philip of Poiters (died 1208?) was Bishop of Durham and a favourite clerk of Richard I. He accompanied the latter on his crusade of 1189, and was present at his marriage with Berengaria of Navarre at Cyprus in 1191. 1

Early Origins of the McPhillips family

The surname McPhillips was first found in Kent, where legend has it that the family (but not the surname) is descended from Maximus, the Briton, Roman Emperor from 383 until his death in 388, and the King of Britain, when he married the daughter of Octavius, King of the Britons. Later the family was forced back into Wales by the invading Saxons, where they traditionally claim descent from Tudwal (c.AD 528-564) "of the wounded knee," a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, first King of Wales.

Early History of the McPhillips family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McPhillips research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1279, 1500, 1533, 1543, 1560, 1566, 1568, 1570, 1586, 1587, 1588, 1594, 1599, 1604, 1613, 1614, 1620, 1629, 1630, 1631, 1638, 1640, 1644, 1653, 1662, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1696, 1699, 1701, 1706, 1709, 1720, 1721, 1724, 1749 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McPhillips History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McPhillips Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The McPhillips name over the years has been spelled Phillips, Philips, Phillip, Philip, Pilip, Pillips, Fillip, Filip, Filips, Phillipes, Philipes, Phillup, Philups, Fillups, Filups, Pilups, Pillups, Fulop and many more.

Early Notables of the McPhillips family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sion Phylip (1543-1620), Welsh poet, son of Phylip ap Morgan; Sir Robert Phelips (1560-1614), English Speaker of the House of Commons and master of the rolls, was fourth and youngest son of Thomas Phelips (1500-1588) of Montacute, Somerset. Miles Philips (fl. 1587), was an English mariner with Captain John Hawkyns on his voyage of 1568. He and another 114 were put ashore near Panuco, Mexico. They were captured and indentured as domestic servants. Philips also worked in a mine where over four years accumulated some four thousand pieces of eight. During the...
Another 270 words (19 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McPhillips Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McPhillips family to Ireland

Some of the McPhillips family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 109 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McPhillips migration to the United States +

The Welsh began to emigrate to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s in search of land, work, and freedom. Those that arrived helped shape the industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. The records regarding immigration and passenger show a number of people bearing the name McPhillips:

McPhillips Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hugh McPhillips, aged 21, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1849 2
Thomas McPhillips, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1850 2
Edward McPhillips, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
James McPhillips, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1886 2

McPhillips migration to Australia +

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

McPhillips Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Mcphillips, (b. 1824), aged 20, Irish labourer who was convicted in Monaghan, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name McPhillips (post 1700) +

Mary M. McPhillips, American politician, Member of the New York State Assembly (1983-1989)
Hugh McPhillips (1920-1990), American actor and director
Mary Helen McPhillips (1931-1998), Canadian-born, American television personality, host of The Martha Deane program in the 1970s and 1980sIrish Film and Television Award
Colin Patrick "Col" McPhillips (b. 1975), American professional longboard surfrider from San Clemente, California
Joseph A. McPhillips III (1937-2007), American teacher from Mobile, Alabama who moved to Tangier, Morocco and was headmaster for 37 years at the American School of Tangier
Julian L. McPhillips Jr. (b. 1946), American lawyer and candidate for Attorney General of Alabama in 1978
Mr. Rossa Dominick McPhillips M.B.E., British Lance Corporal for The Intelligence Corps for Army Reserves was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 17th June 2017
John McPhillips, Irish film music composer, Irish Film and Television Award winner, known for his work on Spin the Bottle (2004), Handsome Devil (2016) and Hero: 108 (2010)
Bill McPhillips (1910-1992), Scottish professional football goalkeeper
Leslie John "Jack" McPhillips (1910-2004), Australian communist and trade unionist
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The McPhillips 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: Ducit amor patriae
Motto Translation: Patriotism leads me.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/