McQuail History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The McQuail family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name McQuail is derived from the personal name Paul. The Gaelic form of the name was Mac Phail, which is normally Anglicized MacFail or MacPhail, and means son of Paul. 1

Early Origins of the McQuail family

The surname McQuail was first found in on the Isle of Man, where "this is one of the most widely distributed names in the island." 2

Early History of the McQuail family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McQuail research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1327, 1500 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McQuail History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McQuail Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McQuail has appeared in various documents spelled Quail, Quayle, Quaile, Quailes, McQuail, McQuayl and others.

Early Notables of the McQuail family

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

Migration of the McQuail family to Ireland

Some of the McQuail family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 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 McQuail family

Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name McQuail or a variant listed above: Anne Quaile and her husband, who came to Virginia in 1623; Hugh Quale settled in Barbados in 1679; Joe Quyle settled in Virginia in 1635; John Quayle settled in Virginia in 1650.

The McQuail 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: Qualis ero spero
Motto Translation: I hope what I shall be.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Moore, A.W., Manx Names. London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1906. Print