The MacLennan surname is an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Gille Fhinneain, a patronymic
name created from a Gaelic personal name
"Fionnán," from the Gaelic "fionn," meaning "white."
Early Origins of the MacLennan family
The surname MacLennan was first found in Ayrshire
where their history vitally is enmeshed with that of the larger Logan Clan
. The MacLennan spelling of this name was first found in Druimdeurfait, in Ross-shire
, where they were a branch of the Highland Logans, who lived along Loch Lochy. According to family lore, they descend from Gilliegorm, Chief of the northern Logans, who was killed battling the Clan
Fraser. His pregnant wife taken captive by Lord Lovat. Her son, born humped back, was called Crotair MacGilliegorm, the "crooked-back son of Gilliegorm." Fearing future revenge on the Frasers by the boy, he was sent to a monastery at Beauly, where he became a monk. He was said to be an ardent follower of the Irish Saint Fhinan, and one of his children took the name Mac Gillie Fhinan, which eventually became MacLennan.
Early History of the MacLennan family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacLennan research.Another 247 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1204, 1296, 1329, 1555, 1606, 1609, 1746 and 1890 are included under the topic Early MacLennan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
MacLennan Spelling Variations
Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations
. MacLennan has been written as MacLennan, MacLenan, McLennan, McLennen and many more.
Early Notables of the MacLennan family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early MacLennan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products
and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the MacLennan family to Ireland
Some of the MacLennan family moved to Ireland
, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the MacLennan family to the New World and Oceana
Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence
. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan
societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name MacLennan or a variant listed above:
MacLennan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Angus, Donald, Duncan, Farquhar, John, Roderick, and Rory Maclennan, all, who settled in Barbados in 1745
MacLennan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- James Maclennan, who arrived in Mississippi in 1837 CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
MacLennan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mary Maclennan, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Royal Albert"
Contemporary Notables of the name MacLennan (post 1700)
- Scott Keith MacLennan (b. 1987), Scottish cricketer from Glasgow
- Ruari MacLennan (b. 1988), Scottish football midfielder
- Dr Hugh Dan MacLennan, Scottish broadcaster, author and sporting academic
- John Ferguson MacLennan (1827-1881), Scottish ethnologist
- Robert Adam Ross "Bob" Maclennan PC (b. 1936), Baron Maclennan of Rogart, a British Liberal Democrat politician, Leader of Social and Liberal Democrats (1987-1988)
- Michael Lewis MacLennan (b. 1968), Canadian four-time Writers Guild of Canada Award nominated playwright, screenwriter, and producer of television shows
- John Hugh MacLennan CC, CQ (1907-1990), Canadian author and professor of English at McGill University, winner of five Governor General's Awards and a Royal Bank Award
- Angus MacLennan (1844-1908), Canadian politician, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Inverness (1896-1908)
- Harry MacLennan (1870-1950), original name of Sir Harry Lauder, the Scottish entertainer
- John Cunningham Maclennan (1867-1935), Canadian physicist
- ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the MacLennan family
- Mr. Frederick Ebenezer Maclennan, Scottish 1st Class Passenger from Glasgow, Scotland, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania and died in the sinking CITATION[CLOSE]
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
The MacLennan 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: Hoc majorum virtus
Motto Translation: This is the valour of my ancestors.
MacLennan Clan Badge
A clan is a social group made up of a number of distinct branch-families that actually descended from, or accepted themselves as descendants of, a common ancestor. The word clan means simply children. The idea of the clan as a community is necessarily based around this idea of heredity and is most often ruled according to a patriarchal structure. For instance, the clan chief represented the hereditary "parent" of the entire clan. The most prominent example of this form of society is the Scottish Clan system...More...Septs of the Distinguished Name MacLennan
Clenan, Clennan, Clennand, Clennane, Clennant, Clennen, Clennend, Clennent, Clennind, Clennint, Clennon, Clennyn, Clennynd, Clenon, Glenan, Glenand, Glenane, Glenant, Glenen, Glenend, Glenent, Glenind, Glenint, Glennan, Glennand, Glennane, Glennant, Glennen, Glennend, Glennent, Glennind, Glennint, Glennyn, Glennynd, Glenyn, Glenynd, Lobban, MacClanen, MacClannan, MacClannand, MacClannane, MacClannant, MacClannen, MacClannend, MacClannent, MacClannind, MacClannint, MacClannyn, MacClannynd, MacClenan and more
MacLennan Family Crest Products
- ^ 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)
- ^ Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/