Family History

The earliest known records of the family name are traced to a small sept of the MacLeod clan on the island of Bernera in the Sound of Harris known as Clan 'Ic Anndaidh which is believed to come from the old Norse name Andi.

In the local folklore from these times, the Long Tailed Ducks are reputed to be enchanted MacAndies.

Although the title of this web site is spelled MacAndie, this is by no means the only way to spell the name. Other spellings include: McAndie, Macandie, MacKandie, McKandy, McKande, McHandie, McChandwe, etc.
The most likely explanation for these variations is the generally poor standard of literacy in the Highlands until relatively recent times.

As the family is a sept of the MacLeod clan, whose chief resides in the clan seat of Dunvegan in the Isle of Skye, anyone who would like to wear a clan tartan may choose the MacLeod of Harris.
There are, however, no hard and fast rules about the wearing of the tartan and our name goes back much further than the Victorian times when tartan became fashionable.

In more recent times the main stronghold of the name has been in Easter Ross, an extremely fertile mainly farming area in the North of Scotland, although there have been others in and around Aberdeenshire and members of the extended family can be found thinly spread all over the world.

Over the last hundred years the highest concentration of MacAndies was in the Parish of Tarbat in Easter Ross, although regrettably none are resident there now.
However the area is very attractive and well worth a visit from anyone who would like to make a pilgrimage to their roots.