McTier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McTier

What does the name McTier mean?

The McTier family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name McTier is derived from the Gaelic form Mac-an-Tsaoir, which denotes son of the carpenter or wright.

Early Origins of the McTier family

The surname McTier was first found in on the Isle of Iona, 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 McTier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McTier research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1372, 1564 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McTier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McTier 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 McTier include MacAteer, MacTear, MacTeir, MacTire, MacAtee, MacAtter, MacAttur and many more.

Early Notables of the McTier family

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

Migration of the McTier family to Ireland

Some of the McTier family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McTier migration to the United States +

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 McTier arrived in North America very early:

McTier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert McTier, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 1
P McTier, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 1

Contemporary Notables of the name McTier (post 1700) +

Samuel McTier (1737-1795), Irish first President of the Belfast Society of the United Irishmen
Duncan McTier, English double bass soloist in the BBC Symphony Orchestra and professor of double bass at the Royal Academy of Music in London

The McTier 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: Per ardua
Motto Translation: Through difficulties.

Sources +

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)