Contents [hide]

McCall History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

McCall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McCall

What does the name McCall mean?

On the Scottish west coast, the McCall family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the Gaelic surname of Scottish origin, which means son of the battle chief.

Saint Gall (550?-645?), originally named Cellach or Caillech, was abbot and the apostle of the Suevi and the Alemanni, and appears to have been the son of Cethernach, an Irishman of noble lineage, of the sept of Hy-Cennsealach, his mother being, it is asserted, a queen of Hungary. 1

The MacGall variant was later derived from the Gaelic Mac goill, or Mac an ghoill, 'stranger's son,' 'Lowlander.' 2

The MacCall variant was from the Gaelic MacCathail, 'son of Cathal,' "the M'Calls of Guffokland were an old Nithsdale family. Robert M'Kawele, was Lord of Karsnelohe, c. 1370-1380." 2

Early Origins of the McCall family

The surname McCall 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 census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

The Maccalls of Dumfriesshire were settled there as early as 1500, "and are said to be descended from the Macaulays. John M'Call is recorded in Cumbray, 1583 (Hunter, p. 31). Matthew McCall in Maybole, charged with reset of rebels in 1607, appears a few days later as McEall (RPC., XIV p. 507). Quintigern Makcall, bailie of Edinburgh, 1610." 2

Early History of the McCall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCall research. Another 215 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1629, 1684, 1686, 1688 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCall Spelling Variations

In various documents McCall has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacAll, MacColl, MacCole, MacCall, MacAul, Mccall and others.

Early Notables of the McCall family

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

McCall Ranking

In the United States, the name McCall is the 673^rd most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 3

Migration of the McCall family to Ireland

Some of the McCall 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.

McCall migration to the United States +

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

McCall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James McCall, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 4
Martin McCall, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 4
William McCall, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 4

McCall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Donald McCall, who arrived in America in 1760 4
John McCall, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1794 4

McCall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Dougal McCall, who landed in New York in 1800 4
Dugall McCall, aged 46, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
Daniel McCall, aged 27, who landed in North Carolina in 1812 4
Terence McCall, who landed in New York in 1829 4
Andrew McCall, who arrived in New York, NY in 1840 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCall migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCall Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Donald McCall Sr., U.E. (b. 1735) born in Scotland who settled in Charlotteville [Walsh], Ontario c. 1784 married to Elsie Simson having 5 children, he died in 1818 5
Mr. George McCall U.E. born in Scotland who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1812 5
Mr. John McCall U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 5
Mrs. Lydia McCall U.E. (b. 1738) who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 wife of George McCall, she died in 1828 5

McCall Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Duncan McCall, who landed in Canada in 1832
Isabella McCall, aged 26, a widow, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Silestria" from Belfast, Ireland
H. McCall, aged 20, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Leslie Gault" in 1833
Sarah McCall, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Leslie Gault" in 1833
William McCall, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCall migration to Australia +

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

McCall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Henry Mccall, (Cale), Irish convict who was convicted in County Mayo, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Boyd" on 10th March 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Andrew Mccall, (b. 1800), aged 20, Irish farmers man who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for life for house robbery, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Miss Bridget Mccall, (b. 1817), aged 20, Irish servant who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1847 8
Mr. Witton Mccall, (b. 1819), aged 24, Canadian labourer who was convicted in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada for 21 years for desertion from his post, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1856 9
Mr. John McCall, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "China" on 133rd January 1846, arriving in Norfolk Island, Australia 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCall 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:

McCall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

W. McCall, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Eastfield" in 1857
Mr. W. Mccall, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastfield" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 12th December 1857 11
James McCall, aged 21, a plumber, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
Margaret McCall, aged 18, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874
Robert McCall, aged 34, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Nations" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCall (post 1700) +

Mitzi McCall (1930-2024), born Mitzi Steiner, an American comedian and actress, known for her work with her husband, Charlie Brill, and their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, the same episode that featured the first appearance of The Beatles on the show
Toussaint McCall (1934-2023), American R&B singer and organist from Delhi, Louisiana
C. W. McCall (1928-2022), stage name of William Dale Fries Jr., an American singer who wrote truck-themed outlaw country songs, best known for the 1976 No. 1 hit song, "Convoy"
Charles Adelbert McCall III (b. 1970), American politician who currently serves as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
John "Jack" McCall (1850-1877), also known as "Crooked Nose" or "Broken Nose Jack," an American outlaw who killed the folk hero James "Wild Bill" Hickok and was executed for the murder on March 1, 1877
Robert McCall (1919-2010), American conceptual artist, known for his work on 2001: A Space Odyssey, and with NASA
Herman Carl McCall (1935-1993), American politician, 52nd Comptroller of New York (1993-2002)
Staff Sergeant Thomas Edward McCall (1916-1965), American officer awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
Captain Edward R. McCall (1790-1853), American Naval officer in the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812
Thomas Lawson McCall (1913-1983), American politician and journalist, Governor of the Oregon (1967-1975)
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McCall family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. James Mccall, British Telegraphist, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 12

HMS Royal Oak

A. McCall, British Yeoman of Signals with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 13

USS Indianapolis

Donald Clifton Mccall (1925-2017), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 14

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Boyd
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 5th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/china
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew