5,878 Global McCandless Family Members

McCandless Family History

This interesting and unusual surname is of Irish and Scottish origin, and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "MacCuind(i)lis", a patronymic from the personal name "Cuindleas", of uncertain origin, however, it may refer to a hound. The surname is very well recorded in Ulster; this would indicate that the personal name was introduced into Ireland by the Gallowglasses, who were mercenary soldiers from Scotland, who came to Ulster in 1258. The surname development since 1617 (see below) includes the following: Jannet Candlish (1729 Scotland), Candleis (1684, Scotland), William Mc Candlish (1791, Edinburgh) and George McCandless (1867, Ireland).