Contents [hide]

McQueen History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

McQueen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McQueen family. The root of their name is Suibhne, an old Gaelic forename which probably means good-going or well-going. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Shuibhne.

Early Origins of the McQueen family

The surname McQueen was first found in on the Isles of Skye and Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas), where they were originally a branch of the MacDonalds of Clanranald. But although the MacQueens held lands of Garafad on the Isle of Skye for several centuries it is likely that the first MacQueen was the Lord of Knapdale in Argyllshire who held Castle Sween.

Early History of the McQueen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McQueen research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1411 and 1743 are included under the topic Early McQueen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McQueen Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. McQueen has been spelled MacQueen, MacQueon, MacSween, MacSwene, MacSweyne, MacSwan, MacCunn and many more.

Early Notables of the McQueen family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was MacQueen of Pall à Chrocain, a legendary Highland deer stalker popularly believed to have slain the last wolf Tarnaway Forest in the province of Morayshire in 1743. Apparently, he received a message from his chief, the Laird of Clan Mackintosh, that a black wolf had killed two children. He arrived late for the meeting, received a tirade from his chief only to reveal from under his garment the head of the wolf. He described the event as...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McQueen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McQueen Ranking

In the United States, the name McQueen is the 1,322^nd most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1

Migration of the McQueen family to Ireland

Some of the McQueen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McQueen migration to the United States +

Numerous Scottish settlers settled along the east coast of the colonies that would become the United States and Canada. Others traveled to the open country of the west. At the time of the American War of Independence, some remained in the United States, while those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The highland games and Clan societies that sprang up across North America in the 20th century have helped many Scots to recover parts of their lost traditions. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first McQueens to arrive in North America:

McQueen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John McQueen was banished from the west of England in 1685 to New Jersey
Duncan McQueen, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 2
Hugh McQueen, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 2
Janet McQueen, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 2
John McQueen, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McQueen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alexander, David, Dugald, Dun, Hector, and John McQueen all, who settled in South Carolina in 1716
Hector McQueen, who arrived in Maryland in 1716 2
David McQueen, who arrived in Maryland in 1716 2
Dugall McQueen, who arrived in Maryland in 1716 2
Alexander McQueen, who landed in Maryland in 1716 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McQueen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William McQueen, aged 39, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 2
James McQueen, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 2
Daniel McQueen, who landed in Ohio in 1830 2
Joseph McQueen, aged 46, who arrived in New York in 1834 2
J McQueen, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2

McQueen migration to Australia +

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

McQueen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John McQueen, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. John McQueen, Scottish convict who was convicted in Inveraray, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Miss Catharine McQueen, Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Andrew McQueen, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Aden" in 1849 6
Mary McQueen, Scottish convict from Edinburgh, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on October 4, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McQueen 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:

McQueen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Archibald McQueen, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
Mr. Robert McQueen, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gypsy" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th October 1856 8
Miss McQueen, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 8
Mr. William McQueen, (b. 1854), aged 19, Scottish gardener travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Wild Deer" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th March 1874 9
G. B. McQueen, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name McQueen (post 1700) +

Alexander McQueen CBE (1969-2010), born Lee Alexander McQueen, British fashion designer and couturier, recipient of the British Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003)
Sherrilyn Woodward McQueen (b. 1965), born in Columbus, Georgia she is also known as Sherrilyn Kenyon, an American bestselling writer, known for the Dark Hunter Series as well as paranormal historical romance novels
Justus Ellis McQueen Jr. (1927-2022), known professionally as L.Q. Jones, an American actor and director, known for his roles in Ride the High Country (1962), Major Dundee (1965), The Wild Bunch (1969), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
Armelia Audrey McQueen (1952-2020), American actress, best known for her roles in the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin' (1978–1982, 1988–1989)
Joe McQueen (1919-2019), American jazz saxophonist who lived to be 100 years old
Butterfly McQueen (1911-1995), American actress whose first role was the part of Prissy, Scarlett O'Hara's maid in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen (1930-1980), Academy Award-nominated American movie actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool"
John McQueen (1804-1867), American politician and a member of the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War
Gordon McQueen (1952-2023), Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre-back for St Mirren, Leeds United and Manchester United and the Scotland national team
Tommy McQueen (b. 1963), former Scottish football defender
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McQueen family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. William McQueen (b. 1905), British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 10

Monongah Mine

Mr. Rippen McQueen (b. 1873), African American coal miner who was in mine 8 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 11

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Aden from London via Plymouth Adealide Arriving September 12th 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849AdenRegister.htm
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anna Maria voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1851 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anna-maria/1851
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).