McMickin

**Aspiringloser** · 17th February 12, 09:18 PM

It's my mother's maiden name. My grandfather died when I was 15. I'm now 34 and have only just now become interested in my family's Scottish ancestry. I've heard we are Irish and I've heard we are Scottish. I haven't been able to find a lot of info on the internet regarding the name McMickin. I thought maybe someone else on this forum might be able to shed some light. So shine on.

**Arnot** · 18th February 12, 02:46 AM

George F. Black's states in The Surnames of Scotland that this name and other spelling variants are "All Galloway names. Probably from Ir. MacMiadhachain ('son of Miadhachan') which Woulfe (p. 392) Englishes MacMeechan, MacMeekan, MacMeekin,etc." Your spelling is also listed with the other variants.

While this might not apply to your particular family, it could be a place to start.

**Aspiringloser** · 18th February 12, 07:22 AM

Thanks!! Every little bit helps.

**Kate** · 25th February 12, 05:27 PM

My family of Ulster Scots has the name McSkimming and other various spellings, too numerous to count. You sound like a "queer Mac" like me.

The name can be traced to Galloway.

An extract from "In Scotland Again" H.V. Morton p.26 & 27. a book once owned by John McSkimming. (b.1878).

"The meaning of Galloway is the 'Land of the Stranger Gaels'. It comes from all, a stranger and Gaidhel, the Gaels and it is interesting to find that these queer Macs or stranger Gaels still exist in great numbers in the local phone directory.

McCLUMPHA McCRINDLE McMEEKING McSKIMMING

McCUTCHEON McFADZEAN McQUAKER McHAFFIE

McKEAND McMIKEN McCUBBIN McDAVID

McWHIRTER McHARRIE

These names, many of which suggest the queer Macs that occurred in Ireland during the Irishing of the Normans go right back into Galloway history and their owners are as justly proud of them as more normal clansmen. The ancestry of the Galloway men is, therefore a long and honoured one, and I creep through the little stone towns gazing with awe and respect at the names of the strange Macs. Who knows what improbable things lie in the race memory of this people. If the recipe for heather ale exists, it may lie lost in the subconscious mind of someone called McSKIMMING."

**Aspiringloser** · 25th February 12, 06:11 PM

Thank you for this information!

**SlackerDrummer** · 29th February 12, 01:40 PM

The surname as spelled only shows up in Ireland (1.71 FPM - Midlands of Ireland 23.57 FPM) and the United States (0.34 FPM) on the World Family Names website (which is a fascinating place to spend some time BTW).

**Kate** · 30th March 12, 05:26 PM

Here is the link for the quote in my previous post regarding the "queer macs"

http://members.dodo.com.au/~vk2fm/famhist.html

**MacGowan** · 22nd August 12, 05:53 AM

Another consideration to take into account. If your ancestors immigrated through Ellis Island or Castle Garden (pre Ellis Island)? When they were registered by the Immigration officials, and asked their name. The recording official often spelled the name phonetically, in accordance with the inflection of their accent in pronouncing it, or how they thought it would be spelled, without bothering to ask.

There were times that they were processing thousands of people a day, and didn't take the time to ask for the correct spelling, or simply did not care.

Once it was entered into the records, that was how it officially remained. MacMeekin, or variation could very easily have been translated as McMickin, and recorded as such.

At that time Irish Immigrants were often viewed as nothing more than cattle, and valued even less. I would doubt that a Scottish immigrant would be shown anymore respect, or considered to be any better.

Many, many names were either misspelled, or were merely shortened to fit into the allotted space on the documents. This was fairly common, especially with Middle European and Slavic names.