While many of Irish names are quite familiar to most, their original Gaelic forms are often forgotten and mysterious. The original Gaelic form of the name MacKinnis is Mag Aonghusa or Mag Aonghuis, which mean "son of Angus."
Early Origins of the MacKinnis family
The surname MacKinnis was first found in County Down
(Irish:An Dún) part of the Province of Ulster
, in Northern Ireland
, formerly known as county St Mirren, where they held a family seat
from ancient times.
Early History of the MacKinnis family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacKinnis research.Another 279 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1539, 1543, 1584, 1640, 1703, 1797, 1798, 1868 and 1759 are included under the topic Early MacKinnis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
MacKinnis Spelling Variations
In the days before Gaelic or English gained any significant semblance of standardization, the scribes who created documents simply recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research into the MacKinnis family history revealed numerous spelling variations
of the name, including Genis, Guinness, Magennis, Guinnessy, McGuinness and many more.
Early Notables of the MacKinnis family (pre 1700)
Prominent amongst the family at this time was Hugo Magennis (d. 1640) who was the Franciscan Bishop of Down and Connor; the second Viscount Iveagh, Brian Magennis who was killed in action in 1703; Richard and Richard the... Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacKinnis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the MacKinnis family to the New World and Oceana
The 19th century brought a massive reduction in Ireland's population. It seemed that during the Great Potato Famine
of the late 1840s the Irish people had two options: starve or immigrate. Those that chose the later frequently headed for the United States, hopeful for land, work, and equality. Those determined for free land joined the migration west; while others stayed behind to live in urban centers and often work in factories. Still others began a transitory life in work camps, building the bridges, canals, railways, and highways so critical to the rapidly development of the growing industrial nation. Early passenger and immigration lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the name MacKinnis:
MacKinnis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Charles Mackinnis, who arrived in America in 1750 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)