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McPherson History Etymology Coat of Arms Creation Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto and War Cry Citations

McPherson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of McPherson

What does the name McPherson mean?

An ancient Scottish people known as the Picts were the forefathers of the McPherson family. McPherson is a name for a parson. The Gaelic forms of the names are Mac a' Phearsain and Mac a Phearsoin, which mean son of the parson. This was the surname of various ecclesiastical families in Scotland and is descended from a Chief of the great Clan Chattan ('tribe of the cats'), called Gille Chattan. This Chief can, in turn, be traced back to Feachar the Long, King of Lorn who died in 697 AD. The Clan's original territories were in Stratthnairn, Strathdearn and Badenoch from whence they long contested the leadership of the Clan Chattan with the MacKintoshes, who also claimed descent from the Gille Chattan through a female heiress.

McPherson Coat of Arms Creation

The Macphersons carry a cat as their crest, and their motto is " Touch not the cat bot (without) a glove."

The story is that young Angus Oig Macdonald went over to Ireland to help an Irish king, and there he got the king's daughter in marriage. While the clansmen after the nuptials were waiting to return to Scotland, there came into the camp an Irish piper, a Macneil, who managed to smuggle himself into one of the boats. A black cat followed, and when a Highlander tried to catch and throw it overboard, he got badly scratched for his pains, and the piper gave him the advice which became the motto of the clan, and the black cat accompanied them to Scotland. This piper when in Scotland took to preaching, married, and settled among the Argyllshire MacDonalds. His sons were known as Mhic a Pharson, and thus the Clan Macpherson originated.

The clan has a galley in its coat of arms, perhaps in memory of the trip to Ireland, or perhaps to their being once driven by stress of weather on to the coast of Caithness. They also carry a dagger, point up, for killing the Cummings, and " a black cat for luck " has been a proverb, for the Macphersons have been lucky since they settled in Scotland. They are a branch of the great Clan Chattan. 1

Early Origins of the McPherson family

The surname McPherson was first found in Inverness, where they were hereditary keepers of the sacred stone of St. Catan, and early Chief of the Clan Chattan. The MacPhersons are sometimes called the Clan Mhuirich, 'the children of Muredach,' from an early Chief of the Clan, Duncan (the Parson) who was imprisoned with the Lord of the Isles after the Battle of Harlaw (1411).

Early History of the McPherson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McPherson research. Another 524 words (37 lines of text) covering the years 1490, 1528, 1600, 1645, 1672, 1675, 1688, 1689, 1700, 1715, 1745, 1776, 1783, 1784 and 1932 are included under the topic Early McPherson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McPherson Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name McPherson include MacPherson, McPherson, MacPhersone, Mac a' Phearsoin (Gaelic) and many more.

Early Notables of the McPherson family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was James MacPherson (1675-1700), the Scottish outlaw, famed for his Lament or Rant supposedly written on the eve of his execution, a version of which was rewritten by Robert Burns; and Colonel Duncan MacPherson, the Clan Chief, who commanded...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McPherson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McPherson World Ranking

In the United States, the name McPherson is the 895^th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name McPherson is ranked the 774^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,944 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name McPherson is the 314^th popular surname with an estimated 11,277 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks McPherson as 419^th with 1,579 people. 5

McPherson migration to the United States +

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of McPherson:

McPherson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alexander McPherson, who settled in south Carolina in 1716
Alexander McPherson, who arrived in South Carolina in 1716 6
Owen McPherson, who landed in Virginia in 1716 6
William McPherson, who arrived in Maryland in 1716 6
Mary McPherson, who landed in Massachusetts in 1729 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McPherson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George McPherson, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1812 6
Duncan McPherson, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
Walter McPherson, aged 38, who landed in New York in 1812 6
Eliza McPherson, aged 37, who arrived in New York, NY in 1822 6
Daniel McPherson, who arrived in New York in 1841 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McPherson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McPherson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Alexander McPherson U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 7
Mr. Charles McPherson U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the Kings Royal Regiment of New York, he became a Freeman in 1785, he kept a Coffee House in Saint John 7
Mr. D. McPherson Sr., U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 7
Mr. Evan McPherson U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 7
Mr. James McPherson U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McPherson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Ann McPherson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
Hugh McPherson, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
Donald McPherson, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
Kate McPherson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
Mary McPherson, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McPherson migration to Australia +

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

McPherson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander McPherson, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Nelson Trafalgar McPherson, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. John McPherson, Scottish convict who was convicted in Inverness, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Donald McPherson, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for life, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. John McPherson, English convict who was convicted in Northumberland, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McPherson 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:

McPherson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James McPherson, aged 27, a wright, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
Jane McPherson, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
William McPherson, aged 29, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
Ann McPherson, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
Archibald McPherson, aged 28, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McPherson (post 1700) +

James Alan McPherson (1943-2016), American essayist and short-story writer; the first black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Warner McPherson (1935-2022), known professionally as Warner Mack, an American country music singer-songwriter who had 23 hits on the country charts from the late 1950s to the early 1980s
Bill McPherson (1931-2020), American professional football coach in the National Football League
Sean Patrick McPherson (1970-2018), American politician, Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives in 2017
Willis A. McPherson, American Republican politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Aroostook County (9th), 1931-32
William M. McPherson, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Missouri, 1844-45
William L. McPherson, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Wood County, 1919-22, 1925-28
William J. McPherson, American Republican politician, Independent Republican Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 31st District, 1896
William McPherson Jr. (1834-1915), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1888, 1896, 1900
W. L. McPherson, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Arkansas 3rd District, 1902
... (Another 72 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McPherson family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. Roy William Mcpherson (d. 1979), New Zealander Chief Purser, from Auckland, New Zealand working aboard the Air New Zealand sightseeing Flight 901 when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 13

Bradford City stadium fire

Irene Mcpherson (1958-1985), from Bradford who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and she died in the fire
Gordon Mcpherson (1946-1985), from Bradford who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and he died in the fire

Flight TWA 800

Mrs. Pamela McPherson (1951-1996), from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, American off-duty TWA employee flying aboard Flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 14

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. John Watson Mcpherson, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15

HMS Royal Oak

Charles Jack McPherson (d. 1939), British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 16

Ibrox disaster

David Fraser McPherson (1941-1971), Scottish football supporter, from Glasgow who was at the Ibrox disaster on 2nd January 1971 when a human crush among the crowd killed 66 and injured 200 people he died of his injuries 17

Lady of the Lake

Mr. Robert McPherson (b. 1808), Irish labourer from Strabane, Northern Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and he died in the sinking

USS Arizona

Mr. John Blair Mcpherson, American Seaman First Class from Tennessee, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 18

Victoria steamboat disaster

Mary McPherson, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881

McPherson Motto and War Cry +

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: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Motto Translation: Touch not the cat without a glove
War Cry: "Craigdhu."

Citations +

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/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Bradford City Football Club In memory (retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://www.bradfordcityafc.com/club/in-memoriam/
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html