Opinion on Surname Origin

**jamesmc** · 01 June 2006, 02:52 AM

I've noticed a few Scots in the forum and wonder if any of them could give me their insight to my Surname. It's currently spelled McCluer.

Some old records in the Colonial Days of the United States, it looks like it was spelled MacLuer and sometimes M'Luer.

Would this be some sort of Scot Gaelic origin and the current spelling is an Americanized version.

Reason why I ask is because I remember reading about an English Sea Captain in the 1700s, named John McCluer, same spelling as mine.

Sorry, this is way off topic. heh heh. Should I put a graphic in here?

**Egg Bramhill** · 02 June 2006, 02:47 AM

James,

This type of miss-spelling was very commonplace. My names history contains Bramhill, Bramhall, Bramall etc. You have to bear in mind that few people in this era knew how to write, let alone spell their names, so it was left to the registrar, and therefore many variations abound.

You might start looking by going here

There also seems to exist a more substanial record re "1790-92: journal of Capt John McCluer on voyage from Bombay to the Pelew Islands (E India Co vessel)" at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/n...asp?SIR=O43238

**mykyl1966** · 02 June 2006, 11:28 AM

According to this site your name is a form of McClure.

http://www.ancestry.com/search/Surna...urcecode=13304

Here you can find out more about the McClures.

http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.c...-coat-arms.htm

I will ask around and in particular if I can, I will have a chat with my fathers friend who is in the business of family research. (Difficult as I am housebound other than hospital appointments nowadays.)

Cheers

Mike R

**jamesmc** · 02 June 2006, 03:23 PM

Thanks Egg and Mike!

I have since done some more research and found that spelling as early as 1680.

According to the author of the book, when some of the MacLures/McClures moved from Scotland to Northern Ireland parishes they changed the spelling of the name because the old Irish Gaelic pronunication of Mac Lure came out as Mac Dlure or some such thing. Don't know any Irish Gaelic, so dunno.

I also read that clure meant fist or something like that. So, son of fist? hahaha.

Another theory by the same author puts the original name as:

Gaelic form: Mac Giolla-odhar, means son of the Pale one.

The last explanation in the same book was this:

Mac Leabhair (prounounced MacLour) meaning son of the book. Accordingly, he says this might be true as they could have been humble tutors or teachers in a small sept of the larger Clan MacLeod.

Another explanation was that the 'lure' was used in Falcontry and some sort of crest emblem of old MacLure's show the 'lure' in it. dunno, never seen one.

Anyway, minor players from the Clan 'Leod' or MacLeod as they use today.

There is a website on some castle the MacLeod's still hold, Dunvegan or something.

Of course, I'm a mixture of long American cross breeding of Dutch, German, Native American, Irish and Scot. I doubt that holding this particuliar spelling of the McClure name would hold much weight in such a historied Clan.

heh heh

All in good fun and idle curiousity to find out surname origins.

Not sure how this six foot four inch, blonde-haired, scot-irish, dutch-german, native american dude would look in a kilt anyway.

And what do they wear underneath that kilt?

**Blox** · 02 June 2006, 05:39 PM

You're not related to Troy McCluer from the Simpsons are you??

**Ross Macintosh** · 02 June 2006, 06:30 PM

Great one Blox!

James -- I'm sorry to tell you that the MacLuer's were no-good sheep stealing scoundrals! My family (MacIntosh) has had a feud with the MacLuer's ever since Angus MacLuer was cought stealing Alexander MacIntosh's sheep in 1793. As a child I was told that if I ever meet a MacLuer I must beware of the 'evil eye' as MacLuer's are known to possess this dastardly power. I was also told that if I met a MacLuer I'd know it because all MacLuers smell like moldy porridge and have broken teeth from chewing on tree roots.

Regards, Ross

**jamesmc** · 02 June 2006, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by Ross Macintosh

Great one Blox!

James -- I'm sorry to tell you that the MacLuer's were no-good sheep stealing scoundrals! My family (MacIntosh) has had a feud with the MacLuer's ever since Angus MacLuer was cought stealing Alexander MacIntosh's sheep in 1793. As a child I was told that if I ever meet a MacLuer I must beware of the 'evil eye' as MacLuer's are known to possess this dastardly power. I was also told that if I met a MacLuer I'd know it because all MacLuers smell like moldy porridge and have broken teeth from chewing on tree roots.

Regards, Ross

Ah! This would explain why I love to eat a 'MacIntosh Variety' apple while curled up in a wool blanket on a cold, wintry night.

Hmmm, I do have a chipped tooth from my younger years and I don't remember how I got it. Just remembered spitting some bits out one night and there lay the tooth bits!

**parahandy** · 02 June 2006, 06:49 PM

Check out this site James according to this your ancestors the McClures (Your name is a variant) started the american civil war now that is a bit of history.

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/ho3.htm

**jamesmc** · 02 June 2006, 06:55 PM

Hmm, well I guess there is some truth in my family's story that we were scoundrels.

**Robbie Tighe** · 08 June 2006, 10:22 AM

well, in general context "Mc" or "Mac" means "Son of"

in your case it loosley translates as "Son of Clure"

similar meaning for those whose names has an "0" in it

i.e. "O' Sullivan" is from the family of sullivan or of the Sullivan clan etc,

again similar meaning for those with Fitz