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McGlashan History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

McGlashan Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of McGlashan

What does the name McGlashan mean?

Gaelic is at the heart of many of the Irish surnames that can be found throughout the world today. The original Gaelic form of the name McGlashan is Mac Glasain or Mac Glaisin; both are derived from the word "glas," which means "green" or "gray-green."

Early Origins of the McGlashan family

The surname McGlashan was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times. McGlashen stones known as "stones of strength", or "testing stones" were used for centuries as tests of strength of young men in Scotland. Traditionally known as "clach cuid fir", or "manhood stones," young men were welcomed into manhood when he was able to lift the "clach cuid fir" from the ground to waist height. More recently McGlashen Stones and the Dinnie Stones have been used in many Strongman competitions since the 1980s.

In Scotland, the name is from the "Gaelic M'Glaisein, a diminutive form of M'Ghille ghlals 'son of the grey lad.' [Other early records include] Mulmory M'Glassen in the Black Isle, 1500. Iain McGalssan or McGlassane was witness at Ardgartene, 1515. John M'Glassan witnessed an instrument of sasine in 1519, as also did Cristin M'Gillecallum M'Glassen in 1525, and Paul M'Glassen is in record in Lochalsh in 1548." 1

Indeed, Scotland became the home to many of the family as today most claim to be Scottish.

Early History of the McGlashan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McGlashan research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1515, 1548, 1647, 1681, 1710, 1740 and 1797 are included under the topic Early McGlashan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McGlashan Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the McGlashan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including MacGlashan, MacGlashen, MacGlasheen, MacGlassan, MacGlasson, Houneen, O'Houneen and many more.

Early Notables of the McGlashan family

Notable among the family name at this time was

Alexander McGlashan (c.1740-1797), known as "King McGlashan," a Scottish violinist, bandleader and editor of music collections

McGlashan migration to the United States +

Ireland saw an enormous decrease in its population in the 19th century due to immigration and death. This pattern of immigration began slowly in the late 18th century and gradually grew throughout the early portion of the 19th century. However, a dramatic increase in the country's immigration numbers occurred when the Great Potato Famine struck in the 1840s. The early immigrants to North America were primarily destined to be farmers tending to their own plot of land, those that came later initially settled within pre-established urban centers. These urban immigrants provided the cheap labor that the fast developing United States and soon to be Canada required. Regardless of their new lifestyle in North America, the Irish immigrants to the United States and Canada made invaluable contributions to their newly adopted societies. An investigation of immigrant and passenger lists revealed many McGlashans:

McGlashan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Cathrine McGlashan, aged 11, who landed in New York or Georgia in 1775 2
Jean McGlashan, aged 14, who landed in New York or Georgia in 1775 2
Robert McGlashan, aged 39, who arrived in New York or Georgia in 1775 2
Charles McGlashan, who arrived in New York in 1789 2

McGlashan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William McGlashan, who landed in New York in 1854 2

McGlashan migration to Australia +

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

McGlashan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John McGlashan, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Tam O'Shanter" in 1836 3
Mr. James McGlashan, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 28th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Dennis McGlashan, aged 20, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
Jane McGlashan, aged 50, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, South Australia aboard the "Hesperus" in 1883

McGlashan 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:

McGlashan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert McGLASHAN, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Sir Robert Sale
J. McGlashan, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Zealand" in 1842
Mr. J. McGlashan, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand via Nelson and Wellington on 1st March 1852 5
Mr. W. McGlashan, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand via Nelson and Wellington on 1st March 1852 5
Mr. John McGlashan, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Rajah" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 6th October 1853 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McGlashan (post 1700) +

Ximena McGlashan (1893-1986), American entomologist
Thomas McGlashan (b. 1942), American professor of psychiatry at Yale University
Peter Alexander Selkirk McGlashan (1831-1908), Scottish-born, American Confederate officer during the American Civil War
Charles Fayette McGlashan (1847-1931), American lawyer, writer, sinophobe, entomologist
James McGlashan, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Cattaraugus County, 1826, 1828 7
David McGlashan (1927-1998), Australian architect, co-founder of McGlashan Everist in 1955
John McGlashan (1802-1864), New Zealand lawyer, politician, public servant and educationalist, eponym of John McGlashan College, Dunedin, New Zealand.
John McGlashan (1967-2018), Scottish football player and manager
Jermaine McGlashan (b. 1988), English footballer who played as a midfielder
Hamish McGlashan (1963-1988), Australian rower at the 1988 Summer Olympics
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TAM O'SHANTER - 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836TamOShanter.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia. Retrieved 25th March 2022 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emerald-isle
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, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html