McWalter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McWalter

What does the name McWalter mean?

McWalter comes from the ancient Dalriadan clans of Scotland's west coast and Hebrides islands. The name comes from the names Wattie and Watty, both of which are pet forms of the personal name Walter. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Bhaididh, which translates as son of Wattie or son of Watty.

Early Origins of the McWalter family

The surname McWalter was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, 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 Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the McWalter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McWalter research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1620 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McWalter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McWalter Spelling Variations

The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years McWalter has appeared as MacWatt, MacWattie, MacWatters, MacQuattie, MacVatt and many more.

Early Notables of the McWalter family

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

Migration of the McWalter family to Ireland

Some of the McWalter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McWalter migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name McWalter or a variant listed above:

McWalter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Roger McWalter, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 1

Contemporary Notables of the name McWalter (post 1700) +

Tony McWalter, English politician in the United Kingdom

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)