McClelland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McClelland

What does the name McClelland mean?

The chronicles of the McClelland family indicate that the name was first used by the Strathclyde Britons of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the son of the servant of Fillan. Fillan is derived from the word fail which means wolf. In Gaelic, the name was spelled Mac Gill Fhaolain

McClelland Coat of Arms Creation

There is a Maclellan Castle in Kirkcudbright, and the Maclellans, once a numerous clan in Galloway, held it for long. The Irish, or at least Saracens or gipsies 'from Ireland, made incursions into their territory, and were so troublesome that the people had to ask the aid of King James II., who promised the estate of Bombie to the man who slew the formidable leader of the marauding band. Young Maclellan got to know how fond this leader was of strong drink, and arranged that on their next coming his men should flee before them, lead the pursuers over a dry area beyond which was a well, which he carefully filled with spirits.

The leader, thirsty after the chase, reached it, tasted, drank his fill, and, while thus drugged, was slain by young Maclellan, who took for his crest a Moor's head on the point of a sword. When he went to claim the estate the King said he could remember no such promise, but was told to " Think on," which became the motto of the Maclellans. 1

Early Origins of the McClelland family

The surname McClelland was first found in the former counties of Kirkcudbrightshire and Galloway where Chief Duncan MacLellan appears in a charter of Alexander II in 1217. Other early records of the surname include Gilbert M'Lolane, who lived around the year 1270. Gilbert's son Patrick, along with several others, took the castle of Dumfries from the supporters of Robert the Bruce in around 1305. Gilelbertus MacLelan was elected Bishop of Man and the Sudreys in 1325 and held the position for almost 3 years.

Early History of the McClelland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McClelland research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1347, 1450, 1457, 1466, 1513, 1547, 1597, 1633, 1641, 1647 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McClelland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McClelland Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. McClelland has been spelled MacClelland, McClellan, MacLellan, McLellan, MacLelland, McLelland, MacClelland, McClelland, Clelland and many more.

Early Notables of the McClelland family

Notable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was Sir William Maclellan of Bombie, knighted by King James IV of Scotland, who fought for the king in the losing Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. According to folklore, McLellan threw his gauntlet at the king's feet, shook his fist and...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McClelland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McClelland Ranking

In the United States, the name McClelland is the 2,162^nd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2

Migration of the McClelland family to Ireland

Some of the McClelland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McClelland migration to the United States +

Unwelcome in their beloved homeland, many Scots sailed for the colonies of North America. There, they found land and freedom, and even the opportunity to make a new nation in the American War of Independence. These Scottish settlers played essential roles in the founding of the United States, and the shaping of contemporary North America. Among them:

McClelland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander McClelland, who arrived in New York in 1801 3
Thomas McClelland, who arrived in New York in 1801 3
Edward McClelland, aged 8, who arrived in New York in 1812 3
John McClelland, aged 21, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 3
James McClelland, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1815 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McClelland migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McClelland Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Hugh McClelland, aged 14, who arrived in Quebec in 1833
Maryanne McClelland, aged 21, who landed in Quebec in 1833
Neal McClelland, aged 46, who arrived in Quebec in 1833
Rachael McClelland, aged 19, who landed in Quebec in 1833
Susan McClelland, aged 45, who landed in Quebec in 1833
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McClelland migration to Australia +

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

McClelland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Hugh McClelland, Scottish convict who was convicted in Ayr, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Mr. John Mcclelland, (b. 1815), aged 29, Irish shepherd who was convicted in County Louth, Ireland for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Mr. John McClelland, English convict who was convicted in Shorncliffe, Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th March 1863, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 6

McClelland 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:

McClelland Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Margaret Mcclelland, (b. 1839), aged 23, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 7
Elizabeth McClelland, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "India" in 1875 7
Mr. Joseph McClelland, (b. 1856), aged 22, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 8
William McClelland, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Triumph" in 1883
Elizabeth McClelland, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Triumph" in 1883
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McClelland (post 1700) +

Nina Irene McClelland (1929-2020), American chemist, Dean Emeritus and professor of chemistry at the University of Toledo
Ensign Thomas Alfred McClelland (d. 1941), American soldier killed at the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, eponym of the USS McClelland (DE-750)
Harold Mark McClelland (1893-1965), United States Air Force (USAF) major general, considered to be the father of Air Force communications
Robert McClelland (1807-1880), Governor of Michigan and U.S. Secretary of the Interior
E. G. McClelland, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Ohio 9th District, 1906 9
David H. McClelland, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1932 9
Dalton F. McClelland, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Madras, 1919 9
D. V. McClelland, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Adair County, 1923-24 9
Charles P. McClelland (b. 1854), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Westchester County 1st District, 1885-86, 1891; Member of New York State Senate, 1892-93, 1903 9
C. E. McClelland, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 1980 9
... (Another 38 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McClelland family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. David Mcclelland, English Extra Second Cook from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 10

SS Atlantic

Ann McClelland, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

The McClelland 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: Think on

Sources +

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/
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 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
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
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/