Show ContentsMcShain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of McShain

What does the name McShain mean?

All Irish surnames have a unique and often romantic meaning. The name McShain originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Seain, which translates as son of John.

Early Origins of the McShain family

The surname McShain was first found in County Kerry (Irish:Ciarraí) part of the former County Desmond (14th-17th centuries), located in Southwestern Ireland, in Munster province, where they were granted lands by Strongbow when he invaded Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the McShain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McShain research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1750 is included under the topic Early McShain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McShain Spelling Variations

Numerous spelling variations of the surname McShain exist. A partial explanation for these variants is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include McShane, McShain, McShaen, MacShane, MacShain, MacShaen, MacCheyne, McCheyne, McSheyne, MacSheyne, McCheine, McChain, MacCheine, MacChain, McChein, McShaney, McShanie and many more.

Early Notables of the McShain family

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


McShain migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish migrating out of their homeland in a great measure due to the oppressive imperial policies of the English government and landowners. Many of these Irish families sailed to North America aboard overcrowded passenger ships. By far, the largest influx of Irish immigrants to North America occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These particular immigrants were instrumental in creation of the United States and Canada as major industrial nations because the many essential elements such as the roadways, canals, bridges, and railways required an enormous quantity of cheap labor, which these poor immigrants provided. Later generations of Irish in these countries also went on to make valuable contributions in such fields as the arts, commerce, politics, and education. Extensive research into immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants bearing the name McShain:

McShain Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John and Joseph McShain, who settled in Philadelphia in 1860


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