McCarley Origins

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 2 (Jan 8-14)
Prompt: Origins
#52ancestors

I wrote the following article many years ago while searching for the origins of the McCarley family.  I've recently found part of it word for word on another website. It is something that was on my website on aol before aol discontinued that service, but I'm publishing it again here.

Mc is an abbreviation of the prefix Mac, which means ‘son of’.  According to the “The Surnames of Scotland” by George F. Black, PhD., McCarley is an anglicized form of MacCarlich. It means ‘son of Charles’. It is no wonder that the McCarleys have spelled their name so many ways in America. They were just following a pattern that began in Scotland where it has been documented as MacThearlaich, MaKarlich, McKearly, McCarlie, McCarlyct, McCarliche, McKerlich, and McTarlichare as well as other spellings.

 McKerley, MacKerlie, and Macerlich were common surnames in Breadalbane around 2 to 3 hundred years ago.

 There are indications that McCarlich’s were of the Campbell Clan. “Archibald M’Kerlich in Finlarg was a vassal of Campbell of Glenurquhay in 1638”. “M’Cairlich and Charlieson…appear to have been Campbells originally, and in Argyllshire they appear under the name of M’Kerliche.”  At a Scottish festival in Texas, a Stewart clan table had paperwork claiming the McCarlys. It is hard decide if they belonged to one clan or the other or if perhaps different “McCarleys” owed allegiance to different clans.   Some “McCarley’s” mentioned in “The Surnames of Scotland" are:

 Alexander Terleti – rector of the parish church of Kilchoman, 1455 (p.465)

 Donald McCarlycht – a ‘fugitive fra the law’ in 1838 (p.465)

 Hector McCarliche in Innerbruoche & Auchinroy McCarliche in Lyne were fined for reset of members of clan Gregor in 1613 (p.465)

 John McKerlich in Finlarg was fined for reset of clan Gregor in 1613, (p.526)

 Neil M’Ewin M’Kerlich, an accomplice of Donald Gorme of State, had remission for his share in laying waste Trouterness in Skye, in 1541” (p.526)

 Duncan McTerlach was a charter witness at Carnasserie in 1436, (p.566)

 Allaster McArliche was hanged for treason in 1615 (p.454)

 

A related post:  McCarley: Is there a right way to spell it?