About us
Muckians are to be found nowadays in Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and maybe more. There is a family website at www.muckian.net
Apparently our O Mochaidhean ancestors in the barony of Cremorne, County Monaghan, Ireland generally anglicized their names to (O)Muckian, (O)Muckyan, Muckean, Muckeen, Mackeen or Mackean under the penal legislation which banned the use of Irish names.
At the time of the Great Hunger, 1845-49, many Muckians emigrated, and because they spoke Irish and were mainly illiterate the spellings of the surname in the records were many, as officials wrote down what they thought they had heard. So far, I have found Mackey, McIein, Muckin, Macken, Mucker, Muchian, MacKain, Muckane and Muckion, many of which became Muckian again by the end of the nineteenth century as literacy spread.
In the twentieth century, many Muckians changed their names to Mackian or MacKian. All these changes make for confusion as many of the names chosen, such as Macken, Mackin, Mackeen, Mackian, Mackean, MacKain and Mackey are all valid names of other families! The hope is that Genetic Genealogy will help us gradually unravel the story and find out whether the rumour that we O Mochaidhean descendants are of the line of Niall of the Nine Hostages is founded in truth...
Apparently our O Mochaidhean ancestors in the barony of Cremorne, County Monaghan, Ireland generally anglicized their names to (O)Muckian, (O)Muckyan, Muckean, Muckeen, Mackeen or Mackean under the penal legislation which banned the use of Irish names.
At the time of the Great Hunger, 1845-49, many Muckians emigrated, and because they spoke Irish and were mainly illiterate the spellings of the surname in the records were many, as officials wrote down what they thought they had heard. So far, I have found Mackey, McIein, Muckin, Macken, Mucker, Muchian, MacKain, Muckane and Muckion, many of which became Muckian again by the end of the nineteenth century as literacy spread.
In the twentieth century, many Muckians changed their names to Mackian or MacKian. All these changes make for confusion as many of the names chosen, such as Macken, Mackin, Mackeen, Mackian, Mackean, MacKain and Mackey are all valid names of other families! The hope is that Genetic Genealogy will help us gradually unravel the story and find out whether the rumour that we O Mochaidhean descendants are of the line of Niall of the Nine Hostages is founded in truth...