Ayr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Ayr

What does the name Ayr mean?

It was in the Scottish/English Borderlands that the Strathclyde-Briton people first used the ancient name Ayr. It was a name for someone who lived in the city of Ayr in South-Western Scotland.

Early Origins of the Ayr family

The surname Ayr was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where the family has held a family seat from ancient times. One of the first on record was Reginald Ayr, who was Clerk of Ayr in 1287 and Albinus Ayr had a charter of lands from King Robert the Bruce in 1315.

Early History of the Ayr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ayr research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1522, 1567, 1638 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Ayr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ayr Spelling Variations

Scribes in Medieval Scotland spelled names by sound rather than any set of rules, so an enormous number of spelling variations exist in names of that era. Ayr has been spelled Ayer, Air, Ayre, Ayers and others.

Early Notables of the Ayr family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Sir Alexander Ayr of Ayr

Migration of the Ayr family to Ireland

Some of the Ayr family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ayr family

The number of Strathclyde Clan families sailing for North America increased steadily as the persecution continued. In the colonies, they could find not only freedom from the iron hand of the English government, but land to settle on. The American War of Independence allowed many of these settlers to prove their independence, while some chose to go to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots played essential roles in the forging of both great nations. Among them: John Ayer, who was on record in Massachusetts in 1635; Simon Ayer, his wife Dorothy and their eight children, who all settled in Massachusetts in 1635.

The Ayr 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: Lighter than air