McCracken is a hereditary surname of Scottish (from Galloway) origin. It is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Reachtain which is an Ulster variant of the Gaelic Mac Neachtain (commonly Anglicised as McNaugton). The surname McCracken is also claimed by Clan MacNaughten as a sept of their Scottish clan Clan MacNaughten. The McCracken Surname DNA Project takes exception to Clan MacNaughtan's position and is of the belief the claim has no historical or genetic merit.
The McCracken Surname DNA Project public website states, "It is estimated that fewer than 30% of all Scottish surnames carry a history of clan association. The origin of this purported relationship between the McCrackens and MacNaughtons first appears in 1922 when Rev. Patrick Woulfe from Dublin, published a book translating well over a thousand Irish Gaelic (not Galwegian Gaelic) surnames into English. He lists the Irish language name Mac Neachtain as translating phonetically into the English surnames of MacNaugten, MacNaughton, MacCracken, MacNaught, MacNeight, MacKneight, MacKnight, MacNight, Mannight, Mcnaght, Menautt, Minett and Minnitt. As a linguist, Woulfe makes no mention of a clan connection between these surnames.
Curiously, the McCracken surname was not claimed as a sept of Clan McNaughton until fifty-five years after Woulfe's 1922 book was published. In 1977, Duncan McNaughton published, "The Clan McNaughton, The most complete History ever written of this famous Clan." In this book McNaughton states, “Finally, a newcomer to the list is the name McCracken, and its Irish cousin McGratten. Both are McNaughton in origin, the name being derived from the Gaelic for McNaughton, Macreachtan."
It does not appear to be coincidental that shortly after the surname McCracken was declared a sept of Clan MacNaughton Association, USA that a James Wilson McCracken of Sacramento, California became the President of the Clan MacNaughton Association, USA. He served in this capacity until his death in 1994. Clan McNaughten Association, UK which was disolved in 2004, is reported to have never officially recognized the McCracken surname as one of their septs. It was only Clan MacNaughton Association, USA that claimed the McCracken surname as recently as 1977 as one of their septs and they continue to do so to the present day in spite of being presented compelling evidence suggesting otherwise.
The McNaughton claim that the McCracken surname is a sept of their clan is based entirely upon a linguistic supposition. It would appear Clan MacNaughton Association, USA's belief is since the McNaughton's were a clan, the other surnames such as McCracken were therefore one of their septs. Even if the MacNaughtons and McCrackens shared the same name in the Irish language by no means does this prove the two groups ever crossed paths or lived in the same geographical area in Scotland. Nothing has been discovered to suggest an affiliation ever existed between the McCrackens and McNaughtons. There is no evidence or proof that any McCracken ever lived in Argyle or near their Castle Dunderave or was ever associated with this noble family. There are no historical records linking the McCrackens and McNaughtons. The McNaughtons homeland in 1473 was Dunderave, near Inverary, Argyle in the Highlands. Their Dunderave Castle was built there in about 1500. McCrackens on the other hand during this period were living 130 miles to the south at Wigtownshire, in the Lowlands. The McCracken surname first appears at Wigtownshire in 1495 with John McCracken, a chaplain and notary at Whithorn.
After nearly fourteen years of Y-DNA testing, there are no (zero) genetic matches on any level between McNaughton and McCracken males in the FTDNA database. In addition, there are no known autosomal dna "cousin" matches between McCrackens and McNaughtons. On the other hand, historical records and Y-DNA results proves McCrackens were associated with several of the powerful families and clans in southwest Scotland. There are many McCracken Y-DNA matches with the surnames McDowell, Kennedy, Dalrymple, McClure, McCulloch and Agnew who were all either power families or clans from Wigtownshire. The earliest discovered historical document of a McCracken being associated with a Wigtownshire clan was an Anthony McCracken, who in 1525 was cited as a follower of the Earl of Cassillis (Clan Kennedy). In the Wigtown Parish Churchyard is a memorial gravestone dedicated to a John McCracken (1605-1680). This is believed to be the oldest stone within this cemetery. The memorial inscription states there are twelve generations of McCrackens (and Frazers) buried here. If we are to believe this inscription then McCrackens were living in the area by at least the 13th. or 14th. century.
As to the origin of the McCracken name, Dr. Henry MacCracken, Chancellor of New York University was of the belief the origins of the McCracken surname was associated with a geographical location. Here's what he had to say in 1917, five years before Woulfe's book: “I am interested in learning any facts respecting the McCrackens of long ago. The name occupies few pages of history and not many seem to know just where that ‘crag’ was which led people to call the man who lived nearby Mac-Crag, the son of the ‘crag or rock’ which has been turned into MacCracken. But in Scotland many well-informed people say the name belongs to the region of Dumfries and southwest Scotland. I have myself found many old stones in Dumfries cemetery bearing the name of McCracken.”
In the Parish of Kirkmaiden, Wigtownshire, Galloway is a geographical placename known as Crachan (a hill). Perhaps this is the geographical site where Mc Crachans lived at the time in history when hereditary surnames were being adopted in southwest Scotland."