McKee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of McKee

What does the name McKee mean?

The Picts of ancient Scotland were the tribe of the ancestors of the McKee family. The name McKee is derived from the personal name Aodh, a cognate of Hugh. The Gaelic form of the name is usually Mac Aoidh and in Inverness, the Gaelic form of the name McKee is Mac Ai.

"Nothing certain is known of the origin of the northern Mackays beyond the fact that they were early connected with Moray, and may have been a part of the ancient Clann Morgunn. The Inverness-shire Mackays are usually called in Gaelic Mac Ai, that is, MacDhai, or Davidson; they formed a branch of Clan Chattan." 1

McKee Coat of Arms Creation

When Queen Mary was at Inverness, Mackay of Farr disregarded her summons to appear before her. Because of this a commission was granted to the Earl of Sutherland to invade the lands of Strathnaver. He besieged Castle Borve, which was held by a small force of twenty reso-lute clansmen, but the castle was taken and demolished. (Canon were used for the first time in the North of Scotland in this siege). It is said that when Mackay was asked by the Earl of Sutherland to exhibit his charter for his lands he put his hand, clasping a dirk, upon the table and exclaimed "Lamh laidir," the Latin of which, "mane forti" (with a strong hand), has been the motto of the clan ever since. 2

Early Origins of the McKee family

The surname McKee was first found in Sutherland (Gaelic: Cataibh), a former county in northern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Highland, where early records show that Gilcrest M'Ay, forefather of the MacKay family of Ugadale, made a payment to the constable of Tarbert in 1326. It is claimed that the Clan is descended from the royal house of MacEth.

Early History of the McKee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKee research. Another 299 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1329, 1408, 1411, 1429, 1506, 1575, 1640, 1689, 1692, 1726, 1873, 1890 and 1940 are included under the topic Early McKee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKee Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. spelling variations are common among Scottish names. McKee has been spelled MacKay, MacCay, MacQuey, MacQuoid, MacKaw, MacKy, MacKye, MacCoy, McCoy and many more.

Early Notables of the McKee family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Hugh Mackay (c. 1640-1692), Scottish general, Major-General Commanding in Chief in Scotland in 1689, killed at the Battle of Steinkeerke; and...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKee World Ranking

In the United States, the name McKee is the 699^th most popular surname with an estimated 42,279 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name McKee is ranked the 903^rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,953 people with that name. 4 And in New Zealand, the name McKee is the 604^th popular surname with an estimated 1,193 people with that name. 5 The United Kingdom ranks McKee as 986^th with 7,075 people. 6

Migration of the McKee family to Ireland

Some of the McKee family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 133 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKee migration to the United States +

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through Clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name McKee:

McKee Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert McKee, who arrived in New England in 1739 7
Hugh McKee, who landed in America in 1795 7

McKee Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nancy McKee, aged 16, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 7
Pat McKee, aged 14, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 7
Agnes McKee, who landed in America in 1804 7
Andrew McKee, who landed in South Carolina in 1807 7
Gabriel McKee, who landed in America in 1811 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKee migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McKee Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John McKee U.E. who settled in Osnabruck [South Stormont], Stormont County, Ontario c. 1784 8
Mr. John McKee U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 8

McKee Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jane McKee, aged 30, who landed in Quebec in 1833
Elenor McKee, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Zephyr" in 1833
Anne McKee, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834
Mary McKee, aged 30, who landed in Quebec in 1834
Rachael McKee, aged 4, who landed in Quebec in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKee migration to Australia +

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

McKee Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Eliza Mckee, (b. 1820), aged 17, Irish maid who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 14 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Diamond" on 29th November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Hugh McKee, aged 34, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Marion" 10
Jane McKee, aged 21, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
Margaret McKee, aged 18, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
Mary A. McKee, aged 22, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McKee 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:

McKee Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

G.J. Mckee, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 11
A.E. Mckee, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 11
J. Mckee, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th February 1859 11
Mr. Alexander Mckee, (b. 1836), aged 25, Irish farm labourer, from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Royal Stuart" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th October 1861 11
Miss Sarah McKee, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "New Great Britain" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 10th August 1863 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McKee (post 1700) +

General William Fulton McKee (1906-1987), American Vice Chief of Staff of the US Air Force (1962-1964) 13
Brigadier-General John Lloyd McKee (1895-1963), American Assistant Commanding General 87th Division (1942-1945) 14
Colonel Alexander McKee (1735-1799), Irish-born, American agent for the British Indian Department during the French and Indian War, and the American Revolutionary War, eponym of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania
Raymond McKee (1892-1984), American actor from Iowa who appeared in 173 films
Lafayette S. "Lafe" McKee (1872-1959), American actor who appeared in over 400 films
Maria Luisa McKee (b. 1964), American singer and songwriter
Hugh Wilson McKee (1844-1871), American naval officer, eponym of the USS McKee (DD-575), a Fletcher-class destroyer and the USS McKee (DD–87), a Wickes class destroyer
Tywain "Ty" McKee (b. 1986), American professional basketball player
Christopher Fulton McKee (b. 1942), American astrophysicist
Rear Admiral Andrew I. McKee (1896-1976), American submarine pioneer
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McKee family +

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Charles Dennis McKee (1948-1988), American Army Major from Arlington, Virginia, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 15

SS Atlantic

Mr. James McKee, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Mr. Wilham McKee, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

USS Indianapolis

George Edward Mckee Jr., 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 was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 16

McKee Motto and War Cry +

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: Manu forti
Motto Translation: With a strong hand.
War Cry: "Bratach Bhan," or White Banner.
War Cry Description: The badge of the clan is reed grass (in Gaelic cuilc)

Citations +

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)
Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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 1st July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diamond
South Australian Register Tuesday 12th December 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marion 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marion1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, May 9) William McKee. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McKee/William_Fulton/USA.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, May 9) John McKee. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McKee/John_Lloyd/USA.html
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew