Maitland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Etymology of Maitland

What does the name Maitland mean?

From the historical and enchanting region of Scotland emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Maitland family name. Originally, the Scottish people were known only by a single name. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. The Maitland surname is generally thought to derive from the Anglo-Norman French word "maltalent," or "mautalent," meaning "bad temper," in turn from the Late Latin "malum," meaning "bad," and "talentum," meaning "inclination," or "disposition." As such, the surname is said to be a nickname surname; originally used for someone with this characteristic. However, there was also a place called Mautalant in Pontorson, France, which may have been a source for the surname.

Early Origins of the Maitland family

The surname Maitland was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where they came from England following 1066. Instances of the name were fairly common in Northumberland during the 12th and 13th centuries. One reference claims the name was thought to have been derived from a place in the parish of Inveresk in the county of Edinburgh called Magdalen Pans, which evolved to Maitland Pans, from a chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, which formerly stood there.1 Whatever the origin, it seems the first on record in Scotland was Thomas de Matalant, who was settled in Berwick during the reign of William the Lion, King of Scots from 1165 to 1214.

Early History of the Maitland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maitland research. Another 216 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1486, 1525, 1537, 1568, 1573, 1586, 1587, 1590, 1595, 1616, 1620, 1624, 1645, 1653, 1655, 1682, 1691, 1695, 1710, 1745 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Maitland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maitland Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Maitland, Matland, Maltland, Maltalent, Matlain and others.

Early Notables of the Maitland family

Notable among the family at this time was

Sir Richard Maitland (1486-1586), lawyer and poet
John Maitland (1537-1595), created 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane (1590), and Lord Chancellor of Scotland (1586)
John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale, Viscount of Lauderdale, Viscount Maitland, and Lord Thirlestane and Boltoun, (died 1645), President of the Scottish Parliament
Charles Maitland, 3rd Earl of Lauderdale (c. 1620-1691), Richard Maitland, 4th Earl of Lauderdale (1653-1695), a Scottish politician

Maitland Ranking

In the United States, the name Maitland is the 15,426^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Maitland family to Ireland

Some of the Maitland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maitland migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maitland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Maitland, who was banished to the American Plantations in 1684
Andrew Maitland, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 3
William Maitland, who settled in Georgia in 1698

Maitland Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alexander Maitland, who arrived in America in 1739
Richard Maitland, who settled in New York in 1766
David Maitland, who settled in New York in 1794

Maitland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anne, Mary, Thomas, William, John Maitland, who all, who settled in Philadelphia in 1804
Ann Maitland, aged 56, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 3
William Maitland, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 3
Archibald Maitland, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1812 3
Mrs. Maitland, aged 18, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1847 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Maitland migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maitland Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Richard Maitland, who arrived in Quebec in 1762

Maitland migration to Australia +

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

Maitland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Catherine Maitland, Scottish Convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Alexander Maitland, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 5
Catherin Maitland, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 5
Elizabeth Maitland, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 5
James Maitland, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Maitland 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:

Maitland Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Maitland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th November 1852 6
Mr. George Maitland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th November 1852 6
Mr. Maitland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Stately" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th February 1854 6
Mrs. Maitland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Stately" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th February 1854 6
Mr. David Maitland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Stately" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th February 1854 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Maitland migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 7

Maitland Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

James Maitland, who settled in Jamaica in 1773

Contemporary Notables of the name Maitland (post 1700) +

Lester J. Maitland (1899-1990), American World War pilot and aviation pioneer
Ian Maitland, American Republican politician, Independent Republican Candidate for U.S. Representative from Minnesota 4th District, 1988, 1990, 1992 8
Claudine C. Maitland, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut Republican State Central Committee, 1940; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1940 8
Alexander Maitland (1844-1925), American Republican politician, Mining executive; Mayor of Negaunee, Michigan; Member of Michigan State Senate 31st District, 1897-1900; Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1903-06 8
Patrick Francis Maitland (1911-2008), Scottish politician, member of the UK Parliament, Hereditary Bearer of the National Flag of Scotland, Chief of the Clan Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale, Viscount of Lauderdale, Viscount Maitland, and Lord Thirlestane & Bolton, and a Baronet of Nova Scotia
Ian Colin Maitland (1891-1953), Scottish nobleman, member of the House of Lords (1931-1945), 15th Earl of Lauderdale, Viscount Lauderdale, Viscount Maitland, Lord Thirlestane and Boltoun, Baronet of Nova Scotia
Sir Richard Maitland (1496-1586), Scottish lawyer and poet
Samuel Roffey Maitland (1792-1866), English historian and miscellaneous writer on religious topics
Mr. Geoffrey Colin Maitland C.B.E., FREng,, British Professor of Energy Engineering at Imperial College London, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Chemical Engineering by Her Majesty The Queen 9
Brigadier George Brumfitt Gibb Maitland (b. 1896), Director of Medical Services, 1st Australian Army in 1945 10
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Maitland family +

HMS Hood

Mr. John W Maitland (b. 1899), English Chief Shipwright serving for the Royal Navy from Poole, Dorsetshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 11

The Maitland 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: Consillio et animis
Motto Translation: By skill and spirit.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE - 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Constance.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, August 30) George Maitland. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Maitland/George_Brumfitt_Gibb/Australia.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm