Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Scots-Irish Surnames; a list of families in the Scots-Irish DNA Project

The Scots-Irish DNA Project now has 761 participating families.  Below is a roster of the participating families.  As you can see the families are a combination of Lowland and Highland Scottish surnames with a few native Irish surnames.  All these families self identify as being Scots-Irish.  Most of these families participated in the 18th Century Ulster Migration to English Colonies and early Republic, or in the 19th Century Ulster migration into Canada.

The majority of the Lowland Scottish families are from Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Gallowayshire, and most of these families migrated to Ireland during the Ulster Plantation (1609-1720).  The Highland Scottish surnames from Argyll, Lennox, and the Southern Hebrides; many of these families migrated to Ulster circa 1550-1600).

The dominate haplogroups are Insular Celts (85%) and there is about 12% of the haplogroups of Norse/Norman ancestry.   The native Irish surnames come from certain families that converted to the reformed faith and became part of the Protestant Irish community in the 1600s. 

Click on image to enlarge:



 







30 comments:

Unknown said...

Several of my family names are on this list.! I have done DNA through Ancestry. Can I participate and if so, tell me how.
Linda Moore McCauley


Moore
Wright
Walker
McCauley
To name a few!

Unknown said...

I've had DNA done with Ancestry. Can I participate and if so how. Some of my family names are;
Alexander
Blair
Kelley
Kelly
McCauley
Moore
Walker
Wright
Welch

miclarkelly said...

My great grandmother was a Crawford from Co. Tyrone. Her mother's family were McKay often spelled McCoy on records there. Her mother's mother's family were McBeigh, McBay, or McBey. One record shows McBeth which I believe is the original spelling. I think McBeth originates in Scotland yet I do not see the name listed. There is nothing suggesting it was once spelled McVeigh. There are also McLane in my family a generation further back.

miclarkelly said...

My great grandmother was a Crawford from Co. Tyrone. Her mother's family were McKay often spelled McCoy on records there. Her mother's mother's family were McBeigh, McBay, or McBey. One record shows McBeth which I believe is the original spelling. I think McBeth originates in Scotland yet I do not see the name listed. There is nothing suggesting it was once spelled McVeigh. There are also McLane in my family a generation further back.

Betty said...

My mother always told us that her family was Scots-Irish but my research has only turned up families from England, but not Scotland or Ireland. However, there are a number of my lines that go clear back to early colonists and I have not found any way to determine what country they came from. Most of them started in Massachusetts and migrated North and then West. A quick glance at the lists revealed ALLEN and HALL which are two of my primary lines. I am certain there will be more.

I have had my autosomal DNA analyzed and it showed 60% Celtic which really shocked me. I was wondering if I could participate in this study?

Unknown said...

I am descended from four Irish ancestors, Crozier, Elliot, McKay and Simpson. All are on the list. How do I find more information on this group? I am sure that it will lead me to many cousins.

Unknown said...

Hello. I don't see my family surname on the list but would like to participate. My maiden name, Houston, is from the Renfrewshire area of Scotland. My ancestors then migrated to Northern Ireland, Ulster. How does one go about participating?

Unknown said...

Hello. I did not notice my family surname on the list. My maiden name is Houston and my ancestors were from the Renfrewshire area of Scotland. They then migrated to Northern Ireland, Ulster. How does one go about participating in the study?
Many thanks,
Allison Houston Olson

Unknown said...

Many of my family names are on this list. I would like to participate in this how do I go about it? I have my DNA along with my Dads. Thank You,Brenda (brown) zurlo

Barry R McCain said...

Brenda, very easy to participate. We use Family Tree DNA company to test. The project is a Y chromosome one, so you would use your Dad's test.

Joyce said...

My Father and Grandfather,and I'm assuming their ancestors are Henderson, as am I.Dad used to used to say that we were Scots Irish, his Mother is an O'Riley from County Cork.This is all very interesting to me especially since almost everyone in our family possesses "extra abilities".These gifts were also very strong on my Mother's side (Irish, Cherokee and?) It was all so normal to me that I thought that everyone had them.

Joyce said...

Paternal,Henderson Maternal,O'Riley. Scots Irish indeed!

Daena said...

I realize this is old but I'm adding my two cents. My mother is a Scott and her father's line, my 3rd great grandmother, has a Cummings born in Ireland.

countingthetoll said...

You are missing the Shaws of Inverness related to the Mac Intosh's and members of Clan Chattan. One of the oldest clans in Scotland.

Unknown said...

My maiden name is Bogle which is on the list. I would like to know when his family immigrated to ulster and from where in Scotland. He is found in Pennsylvania prior to 1776. His name was Ralph Bogle and he had a brother named James.

Unknown said...

Hi my grandmother was a McGrath and my grandfather was a McCartney.naturally my mother was a McCartney. They came early on before the civil war and settled in western pa and Philadelphia. My mother always told us we were related to the old actor Jimmy Stewart and possibly Paul McCartney. My DNA says Ulster but my mother told us our family had came to the US from London. They could have there from lteland. Any way that's all I know.

Unknown said...

Hi my grandmother was a McGrath and my grandfather was a McCartney.naturally my mother was a McCartney. They came early on before the civil war and settled in western pa and Philadelphia. My mother always told us we were related to the old actor Jimmy Stewart and possibly Paul McCartney. My DNA says Ulster but my mother told us our family had came to the US from London. They could have there from lteland. Any way that's all I know.

HGP Design said...

I noticed there wasn't the name McClurg. Why?

Rebecca King Anderson said...

My Scottish King family of Argyll went to Ulster in 1560 "due to church persecution." What does "King III" in your list indicate?

Unknown said...

Does anybody know where Crowe comes form in Irish History

Unknown said...

My great grandfather was John Campbell Dunbar. Got married to Elizabeth Cameron.

carl3684 said...

I have come across this fascinating thread today, my mother's maiden name is McGowan and I know that her grandfather's people originated in Scotland (her father is "identity unknown", sadly..). They may have been 'well-to-do' as they owned a lot of the property on Bangor main street/s - I remember her 'Uncle Robert'(?), who I met once, and he bequeathed her some money in his will. Interestingly and, perhaps, peculiarly, the name 'Hans' was a name passed from generation to generation of males, beginning with a 'Hance' in the mid-19th century. Indeed, in my lifetime (born 1966) there were four related 'Hans McGowan's living in Dublin! I have done some research (Hubbard is notable common surname on this island!) and I got this McGowan line back to Paisley, near Glasgow.
My grandmother's name was Edith Lemon McGowan, 'Lemon' being a surname dating back to another ancestor - in my research, I was charmed to see how surnames were elongated and continued on into the next century (some of my great-grandfather brothers retained their grandmother's maiden name 'Davis' into the early 20th century)

carl3684 said...

Trying to track down my mother's father, born in 1940, to Edith Lemon McGowan, we assume in England as she seems to believe herself to be a "crown subject"! Even if she has lived her entire life in the Rep of Ireland! Her McGowan heritage is Scots-Irish, via Bangor, Co. Down, where ancestors appear to have owned a lot of property in andxaroundcthe Main Street. ANY and all information would be gratefully received

Kathy Fraser said...

My maiden name is Katherine Eileen McElyea and I cannot locate a McElyea in Ireland or Scotland. My inquiries have made derivatives of Elyea, Macelyea, Mcelrae, etc. What am I doing wrong?
The other side of the family has another name that I have stumped people. That name is Nokeley. That is the official spelling by the family, but when I tried to use Ancestry.com the spelling was all over the map. Nokelly, Noakly, Nokely, Noklea, etc.
Again, if someone could just recommend me to the right department, I will gladly not irritate you.
Oh, and the McElyea's landed in Pennsylvania, United States, in the 1700's.
The Nokeley's immigrated to Canada sometime in the late 1800's and I came across a John Stephen Nokeley (son of Thomas Nokeley and Mary Cassidy); John married a Bridget Louise Walsh (daughter of Michael Walsh and Ann Ferrell or Terrell).
I hope this helps.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kemcelyea@gmail.com or call me at 1-830-980-2902 or 1-210-542-1512.

Kathy Fraser said...

Thank you for all of your assistance.

Kerry said...

You need to add the name Armstrong....

Melody Minielly (McNally surname) said...

My Irish surname was McNally, it’s now Minielly. I know my ancestors left Ireland in 1817 from Donegal on the ship Elisa and landed in Canada as pioneers. I’m interested in researching archives from their lives and where they came from to complete my genealogy and heritage.

Unknown said...

Please contact me to forget inquire about the nature of this. I know that I'm b scotch irish and have been longing to connect with my hairatage. My maiden name is Walker

Unknown said...

I cannot locate family in Ireland/Scotland through Ancestry; but, I would love to locate other family members.

mkmoran said...

I'd love to know why my family name, Moran, which is not only descended from Brian Boru and was originally O'Morainn, is not listed on this list. It's honestly frustrating to be left off when we've got damn near pure Irish blood.