Show ContentsTague History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of Tague was Mac Taidh or Ó Taidhg.

Early Origins of the Tague family

The surname Tague was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Tague family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tague research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1493, 1583, 1589, 1772 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Tague History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tague Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Tague revealed spelling variations, including MacTeige, McTeige, MacTigue, McTigue, MacCaig, MacCaige, McCaig, McCaige, MacKaig, McKaig, MacKeague, McKeague, McKeage, MacTague and many more.

Early Notables of the Tague family

Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tague Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tague Ranking

In the United States, the name Tague is the 9,180th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Tague migration to the United States +

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Tague family came to North America quite early:

Tague Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Tague, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1858 2
  • Paul Tague, aged 20, who settled in America, in 1895
Tague Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Sarah Tague, aged 20, who landed in America from Tyrone, Ireland, in 1904
  • Patrick Tague, aged 18, who landed in America from Carrigallen, Colertrim, Ireland, in 1908
  • Alice Tague, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Tyrone, Ireland, in 1908
  • Bridget Tague, aged 17, who landed in America from Carrick on Shannon, Ireland, in 1909
  • John Tague, aged 22, who landed in America from Ballenamore, Ireland, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tague migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tague Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Private. Jacob Tague U.E., (Teague, Take, Tage, Tegg, Deek, Deak, Deeck) (b. 1743) born in German Flatts, Mohawk Valley, New York, USA from Lake Otsego, Tryon County, New York, USA who arrived in Paspebiac, Baie des Chaleurs, Gaspésie, Quebec c. 1784, relocating to Carlisle [New Carlisle], Quebec in 1785 he enlisted in 1777 serving with the Kings Royal Rangers of New York and Butlers Rangers, married twice having 18 children he died in 1824 at New Brandon, Glouchester County, New Brunswick 3

Tague migration to Australia +

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

Tague Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Bridget Tague, aged 16, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Burlington"
  • Mrs. Catherine Tague, (b. 1825), aged 34, Cornish house servant departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Queen of England" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 8th July 1859 4
Tague Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Stephen Tague, (b. 1923), aged 25 English labourer from Ashton-in-Makerfield (Lancashire), Greater Manchester, England who sailed aboard the ship "Empire Brent" from Glasgow on 19th October 1948 arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 17th November 1948, quarantine records show him at Auburn, Sydney 5
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Tague, (b. 1921), aged 27 English housewife from Ashton-in-Makerfield (Lancashire), Greater Manchester, England who sailed aboard the ship "Empire Brent" from Glasgow on 19th October 1948 arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 17th November 1948, quarantine records show her at Auburn, Sydney 5
  • Mr. Stephen Tague, Jr. (b. 1946), aged 2 English settler from Ashton-in-Makerfield (Lancashire), Greater Manchester, England who sailed aboard the ship "Empire Brent" from Glasgow on 19th October 1948 arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 17th November 1948, quarantine records show him at Auburn, Sydney 5

Tague migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tague Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Philip Tague, aged 40, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of The Age" in 1874
  • Mary A. Tague, aged 28, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of The Age" in 1874
  • Thomas Tague, aged 4 mths., who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of The Age" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Tague (post 1700) +

  • James "Jim" Thomas Tague (1936-2014), American car salesman who received minor injuries during the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas
  • Peter Francis Tague (1871-1941), American member of the United States House of Representatives from Boston
  • Stephanie Tague, English actress, best known for her role as Michelle Robinson on the British soap opera Coronation Street


The Tague 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: Summum nec metuam diem nec optem
Motto Translation: May I neither dread nor desire the last day.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf
  5. Private sent but details found and (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=9244290&S=45


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