McIlhatton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McIlhatton

What does the name McIlhatton mean?

The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McIlhatton family. The root of their name is a devotion to St. Catan, a saint of whom little is known but who was revered throughout the west coast of Scotland between the islands of Bute and Skye. The Gaelic form of the name was Mac Gille Chatain, which means son of St. Catan's servant.

Early Origins of the McIlhatton family

The surname McIlhatton was first found in the area of Argyllshire on the Isle of Bute, and literally translated means the "servant of St. Catan," the patron saint of Bute, Skye, Colonsay, Gigha. St. Catan was said to have lived at the Abbey of Inchaffray on the isle of Skye.

Early History of the McIlhatton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McIlhatton research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1424, 1465, 1670, 1672 and 1685 are included under the topic Early McIlhatton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McIlhatton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McIlhatton has appeared in various documents spelled McIlhatton, McElhatton, McElhatten, McGillecattan, McIlchattan, McHilhatton, Makelatyn, Macklehatton, McHatton and many more.

Early Notables of the McIlhatton family

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

Migration of the McIlhatton family to Ireland

Some of the McIlhatton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McIlhatton migration to the United States +

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name McIlhatton or a variant listed above:

McIlhatton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barclay McIlhatton, who settled in Philadelphia in 1838