The Clan/Sept History

The many Irish surnames in use today have long rich histories behind them. The
name MacConsidine originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Consaidin. This surname
is an instance of a Gaelic surname being derived from a foreign Christian name;
it means son of Constantine.

Lacking standardized spellings, scribes and church officials recorded people's
name according to how they sounded. This practice often led to the misleading
result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings.
Numerous spelling variations of the surname MacConsidine are preserved in the
archival documents of the period. The various spellings of the name that were
found include Considine, McConsidine, Considene, McConsidene and others.
First found in county Clare, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
Many Irish Families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th
century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination at that
time. Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on
to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and
Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many
early immigrants to North America bearing the MacConsidine family name: Mathew
Conidene who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1871; Dennis, Martin,
Mathew, Patrick, and another Mathew Considine, arrived in Philadelphia between
1840 and 1870. Patrick Considine arrived in Quebec in 1840..