Trying to establish a connection between two surnames in medieval Nithsdale

[crb83]

  I'll try to make a long story short here... my ancestors were Maclaines but not related to the highland clans, this name arose independently in Dumfriesshire from a family of priests and Notary Publics, the first record of which is a "Sir Thomas McLyn" witnessing a charter for the Earl of Douglas in 1432. They family was later merchant burgesses of Dumfries and most made the move into Ulster in the early days of the plantation.  I am trying to draw a link to what may be related families in the area without assuming too much... and also solidify the root origin of the name.

 Early spellings use the "y" in the name up through the early 1600s and I was wondering if the pronunciation would have been slightly different  (i.e. Maclayne vs. Maclyane). 
McLyn, McClyne, Macklyne, McCollyne, McCulyne, Mackilyn are a lot of the early spellings and of course what's "accepted" is that this is pronounced "Maclaine" and from the gaelic "Mac Gille-Eoin".  But since my unknown medieval ancestor was a Gille-Eoin in Nithsdale and unrelated to the clans... Could he more likely have been named Gille-Ewen / Gille-Eoghain?  which I think would explain the "y" in the early spellings/pronunciation of the name.

It would explain the solid unquestionable spellings of people also in Dumfriesshire in the same time-frame named McCalyane, McCalyean, Mackilyane, etc who were also priests and notary publics.  Also in an ancestor's 1573 testament, it links to a family of priests in Haddington who spelled their names Mauchlyn and Maghlyne... which I first thought may have been an indication of the geographical surname from Ayrshire.  But also in Haddington at this time were families of McCalyanes nearby.

For instance St. Andrews matriculation rolls
Andreas MakClayn, 1494
Thomas Macalyane, 1506
Mauricius Mk Clayne, 1519
Thomas M'Calyen, 1525
Johannes Maklayne, 1519
Soirlanus Maklayne, 1539
Lauchlanus MakClene, 1554
Johannes M'Kalyeine, 1564

It would also explain my distant DNA match to several people of the "Galyean" surname who are of Ulster-Scots descent (an alteration of Mackilyane?)

I'm just wondering whether I should pursue this further or it may just be a big coincidence.  Could MacGilleEwen have slowly been anglicized to Maclaine in just my branch of the family?

[Forfarian]

Previous threads on same topic

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,594179.msg4446357.html#msg4446357
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,593242.msg4436762.html#msg4436762
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,590982.msg4418095.html#msg4418095

[Wilgil86]

Have you tried big Y testing on FTDNA to help. I too am trying to find the origin of my name and through searching my distant BigY match to a Galyean I found this thread.

My GG grandfather was born in Randallstown Northern Ireland in County Antrim between 1865 and 1873 depending on which records I am to believe. His name was Alexander Gillen. Which is still the family surname but Gillan was also used by his father Alexander born 1847 as were the names Gillion and Gillian on most of the Catholic baptisms of my GG grandfathers siblings. Those are the oldest records I have because of the name change and I mostly searched Gillen. I suspect that their ancestors came from Scotland at some point possibly the plantation or as MacDonnell gallowglass. In a post of yours you said some of your family went to Ireland during the plantation and settled in Dungannon. Interestingly that is near Ballygillen, maybe coincidence. The names Gillian and MacLean are related patronymic and Galyean seems like it could be an earlier version of Gillian. Iirc he and I match at SNP FGC4077. My terminal haplogroup is downstream of that and is called A725. I match a MacLean at that level. Would that be you?

Most of my matches at level A725 are in the areas of Dal Riata and Galloway. I match in that haplogroup the names Kennedy, Kelly, MacMillan, Mullen, MacLellan, Ryan, Gartland, Galloway, Hoy, Cannon, McCann, Coyne, Quinn, MacLean, Murray, Morris, Morrison, Byrnes, Ross, and Taggart among others.

Perhaps this information will be helpful.