MacLean History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Scotland-Alt
• Scotland
• Ireland

Etymology of MacLean

On the Scottish west coast, the MacLean family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from a devotion to St. John. The surname is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Gille Eathain, a patronymic name meaning "son of the servant of Saint John." The Clan is descended from Eachan Reaganach, (brother of Lachlan the progenitor of the Macleans of Duart). These two brothers were both descended from Gilleathain na Tuaidh, known as 'Gillian of the Battleaxe', a famed warrior of the 5th century. Eachan, or Hector was given the lands of Lochbuie from John, the first Lord of the Isles, some time in the 14th century.

MacLean Coat of Arms Creation

The Macleans claim descent from one Gill-Eathain na Tuaighe, so called from his carrying as his ordinary weapon a battle-axe ; and they have for their crest a battle-axe surrounded by a laurel or cypress branch. This they are said to have adopted from the following incident in their founder's career :

Gill-Eathain was engaged, with others, in a stag hunt at Beinn Talaidh in Mull, and wandered away from the rest of the party in pursuit of his quarry. The mountain suddenly became enveloped in mist and he lost his way. For three days he wandered about unable to recover his track. On the fourth day, utterly exhausted, he crept under a laurel bush, where, after fixing the handle of the battle-axe in the earth, he lay down and slept. On the evening of that day his friends saw the head of the battle-axe above the bush, and found Gill-Eathain alseep on the ground with his arm round the handle.

This clan has two slogans, " Bets no beatha " (Death or life), and "Another for Hector." The second slogan had its origin in an incident, at the battle of Inverkeithing in 1651, which demonstrates the devotion of the clansmen to their chief. In July of that year Cromwell's forces, under General Lambert, opposed the Scots army, under Holborn of Menstrie. Holborn with his cavalry fled soon after the battle began. Sir Hector Roy Maclean of Duart was there with 800 men. They were encircled by the English and were being cut to pieces. Sir Hector's clansmen saw that the English objective was to get their chief. They therefore flocked round him, and at every attempt on their chief's life a clansman threw himself upon the enemy and fell, one after the other exclaiming " Another for Hector " until eight Macleans lay dead ere Sir Hector himself fell. 1

Early Origins of the MacLean family

Early History of the MacLean family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacLean research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1310, 1320, 1370, 1411, 1500, 1560, 1582, 1604, 1620, 1630, 1645, 1649, 1650, 1651, 1658, 1666, 1670, 1674, 1687, 1716, 1745 and 1890 are included under the topic Early MacLean History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacLean Spelling Variations

In various documents MacLean has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacLean, MacLaine, MacLane, MacLeane, MacClean, MacClain, MacClaine, MacGhille Eoin (Gaelic) and many more.

Early Notables of the MacLean family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

• Hector MacLean, Lord of Dowart (c.1560-c.1630), Scottish Lord of the Clan MacLean
• Sir John Maclean, 1st Baronet, (1604-1666)
• Sir Hector Maclean, 2nd Baronet of Morvern (c.1620-1651), the 18th Clan Chief of Clan Maclean from 1649 to 1651
• Sir Allan Maclean, 3rd Baronet of Morvern (1645-1674), 19th Clan Chief of Clan Maclean from 1651 to 1674
• Lauchlan Maclean, 2nd Laird of Brolas (1650-1687)
• Sir John Maclean, 4th Baronet of Morvern (1670-1716), 20th Clan Chief of Clan Maclean from 1674 to 1716

MacLean World Ranking

In the United States, the name MacLean is the 4,174^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name MacLean is ranked the 210^th most popular surname with an estimated 18,538 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name MacLean is the 763^rd popular surname with an estimated 5,102 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks MacLean as 484^th with 1,410 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks MacLean as 683^rd with 9,719 people. 6

Migration of the MacLean family to Ireland

Some of the MacLean family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.