Kirkpatrick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Kirkpatrick

What does the name Kirkpatrick mean?

The Kirkpatrick surname is derived from one of various place names in Scotland. These place names come from the Old Norse "kirkja" which became "kirk" and means "church." Several churches were dedicated to St. Patrick, and then the place names followed from the church names.

Kirkpatrick Coat of Arms Creation

When Robert the Bruce determined to drive the English out of Scotland, he invited John Comyn to meet him in the Church of the Minorities in Dumfries. There they quarrelled, as Bruce charged Comyn with having betrayed him to King Edward. Bruce in a passion forgot the sacred character of the place, and struck Comyn a blow with his dagger, and then rushed out of the church. To Kirkpatrick and Lindesay, who were waiting for him, he exclaimed, " I doubt that I have slain the Comyn." " Do you leave such a matter in doubt ?" said Kirkpatrick ; " I will make sicker," and with that he entered the church and slew the Comyn.

Since then the crest of the Kirkpatricks is a right hand holding a dagger erect distilling drops of blood, and the motto, " I mak' sicker," or " I make sure." 1

Early Origins of the Kirkpatrick family

The surname Kirkpatrick was first found in Dumfriesshire at Closeburn, a civil parish. The surname was derived from a chapel on a farm in the parish that was once dedicated to Saint Patrick. About 1 km east of Closeburn lies Closeburn Castle, a tower house that was the family seat of the Kirkpatrick family until 1783. The first record of the name is of a Sir Roger de Kirkpatrick (born c. 1280), 3rd cousin and associate of Robert the Bruce, 1st cousin of Sir William Wallace who attested a charter by one of the Bruces in the 14th century.

Early History of the Kirkpatrick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirkpatrick research. Another 210 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1232, 1296, 1685, 1686, 1695, 1728, 1783 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kirkpatrick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirkpatrick Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kilpatrick, Gilpatrick, Patrick, Kirkpatrick and others.

Early Notables of the Kirkpatrick family

Notable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was

Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, 1st Baronet (d. c. 1695) of Closeburn in the County of Dumfries, a Baronetage of Nova Scotia created for him on 26 March 1685; and William, son of William Kirkpatrick of Conhea...
John Kirkpatrick (1686-1728), was a Scottish antiquary from Closeburn, Dumfriesshire

Kirkpatrick Ranking

In the United States, the name Kirkpatrick is the 1,125^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Kirkpatrick family to Ireland

Some of the Kirkpatrick family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirkpatrick migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kirkpatrick Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Kirkpatrick, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
Walter Kirkpatrick, aged 17, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
Euphemia Kirkpatrick, aged 50, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
Catherine Kirkpatrick, aged 15, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
George Kirkpatrick, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Daniel O'Connell" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kirkpatrick migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Kirkpatrick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Kirkpatrick, Scottish convict who was convicted in Dumfries, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 10th August 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Mr. William Kirkpatrick, (b. 1822), aged 16, Irish labourer who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 29th December 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1906 4
Miss Mary Kirkpatrick who was convicted in Kendal, Cumbria (Westmorland), England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 16th November 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
John Kirkpatrick, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "British Empire" 6
John Kirkpatrick, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1850 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Kirkpatrick migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kirkpatrick Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Hugh Kirkpatrick, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 14th October 1860 7
Mrs. Kirkpatrick, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 14th October 1860 7
Robert Kirkpatrick, aged 22, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Constance" in 1862
William Kirkpatrick, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alexandrina" in 1871
Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alexandrina" in 1871
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kirkpatrick (post 1700) +

Ted Kirkpatrick (1960-2022), American drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with the American Christian thrash metal band Tourniquet
William Huntington Kirkpatrick (1885-1970), American Republican politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 8
William Kirkpatrick (1769-1832), American politician, United States Representative from New York
Wayne Kirkpatrick (b. 1961), American Grammy Award winning songwriter and musician
Ralph Kirkpatrick (1911-1984), American musician, musicologist and harpsichordist
Karey Kirkpatrick (b. 1964), American Annie Award winning, Hugo Award nominated screenwriter and director
Donald Kirkpatrick, American educator, Professor Emeritus of the University of Wisconsin
Christopher Alan "Chris" Kirkpatrick (b. 1971), American singer, dancer, entertainer, and voice actor, founding member of the pop group 'N Sync
Ann Kirkpatrick (b. 1950), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 1st district (2013)
William J. Kirkpatrick (1838-1921), American musician and composer
... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kirkpatrick family +

Halifax Explosion

Baby Kirkpatrick, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 9

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. David Kirkpatrick, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 10

USS Arizona

Mr. Thomas Larcy Kirkpatrick, American Captain Chaplain Corps from Missouri, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 11

The Kirkpatrick Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: I make sure

Citations +

Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
Convict Records Australia. Retrieved on 18th March 2022 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 31st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BRITISH EMPIRE 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850BritishEmpire.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2013, February 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html