McKennan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of McKennan

What does the name McKennan mean?

The old Scottish-Dalriadan name McKennan is derived from the Gaelic personal name Findgaine. This is derived from the earlier forms Finghin and Finnguine. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Fhionghuin or Mac Fhionnghain.

McKennan Coat of Arms Creation

The Mackinnons have a boar's head with a shin bone in its mouth, which was adopted as their crest in memory of the following legendary incident.

Mackinnon of Strathaird in Skye and six men were out after deer, and when the hunt was over they went into a cave where they roasted some venison. While they were eating it, the mouth of the cave was darkened by a huge boar, evidently ready to attack them. His men retreated to the innermost recesses of the cave, but Mackinnon remained ready to face the boar. Just as it was in the act of charging, he thrust the shin bone down the animal's throat and choked it. Hence the crest. The motto is in Latin " Audentes fortuna juvat " (Fortune favours the daring). 1

Early Origins of the McKennan family

The surname McKennan was first found in on the Isles of Mull and Skye, where they held a family seat from early times. This distinguished Scottish Clan descended from Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scotland who died in the 9th century and were part of the Siol Alpin, a group of Clans descended from the King. They held lands in Mull, Skye and Iona, and were long time Abbots of Iona. They were connected with the MacDonalds and other Alpin Clans such as the MacNabs and the MacGregors. The Clan was present at the Battle of Inverlochy under the Montrose and being of royalist influence they supported King Charles at Worcester. Again in 1745 in Culloden they supported the Stuarts and the Chief was imprisoned in London in the Tower.

Early History of the McKennan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKennan research. Another 319 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1409, 1467, 1495, 1506, 1536, 1545, 1557, 1560, 1577, 1586, 1609, 1621, 1662, 1673, 1675, 1681, 1745, 1789, 1791, 1804, 1808, 1812, 1813, 1814, 1826, 1829, 1830, 1836, 1870 and 1884 are included under the topic Early McKennan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKennan Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of McKennan include MacKinnon, MacKinning, MacInnon, MacKinnen, MacFingon and many more.

Early Notables of the McKennan family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Daniel MacKinnon (1791-1836), colonel and historian of the Coldstream guards, born in 1791, was son of William Mackinnon, chief of the Clan Mackinnon. William Alexander Mackinnon (1789-1870) was his elder brother, and Daniel Henry Mackinnon (1813-1884) was his first cousin. On 16 June 1804 he was appointed ensign in the Coldstream guards, in which his...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McKennan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McKennan migration to the United States +

These settlers arrived in North America at a time when the east was burgeoning with prosperous colonies and the expanses of the west were just being opened up. The American War of Independence was also imminent. Some Scots stayed to fight for a new country, while others who remained loyal went north as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of them went on to rediscover their heritage in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic Scottish events. The McKennan were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

McKennan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John McKennan, who landed in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1685 2

McKennan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James McKennan, who arrived in America in 1795 2

McKennan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander McKennan, who landed in New York in 1823 2

McKennan 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:

McKennan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Mckennan (Mckinnon), (b. 1842), aged 22, Scottish shepherd from Perthshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 22nd October 1864 3

The McKennan 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: Audentes fortuna juvat
Motto Translation: Fortune favours the bold

Sources +

Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html