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Buchan History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Buchan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Buchan

What does the name Buchan mean?

The current generations of the Buchan family have inherited a surname that was first used hundreds of years ago by descendants of the ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The Buchan family lived in the lands of Buchan in Aberdeenshire having derived from the Gaelic word for little or small.

Early Origins of the Buchan family

The surname Buchan was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland.

Some of the first records of the family were Ricardus de Buchan, who was clerk of the bishopric of Aberdeen c. 1207-1208 and William de Buchan who held land in Aberdeen in 1281. A few years later, Thomas de Boghan of Edinburghshire rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296. 1

Early History of the Buchan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buchan research. Another 231 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1272, 1291, 1296, 1301, 1309, 1318, 1369, 1376, 1391, 1405, 1436, 1446, 1458, 1477, 1708 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Buchan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buchan Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages did not have access to a set of spelling rules. They spelled according to sound, the result was a great number of spelling variations. In various documents, Buchan has been spelled Buchan, Buccan, Buckan, Buchane and others.

Early Notables of the Buchan family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Andrew of Buchan (d. 1309?), Bishop of Caithness, former Abbot of the Cistercian abbey of Cupar (Coupar) Angus, to which he had been preferred in 1272. His name appears on the Ragman Rolls as paying h...
Thomas Buchan (d. 1720), was a Scottish general of the Jacobite forces in Scotland, and was descended from a family which claimed connection with the Earls of Buchan, and which had been proprietors of...

Buchan Ranking

In the United States, the name Buchan is the 10,945^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Buchan migration to the United States +

The cruelties suffered under the new government forced many to leave their ancient homeland for the freedom of the North American colonies. Those who arrived safely found land, freedom, and opportunity for the taking. These hardy settlers gave their strength and perseverance to the young nations that would become the United States and Canada. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the name Buchan:

Buchan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Buchan, who landed in Virginia in 1772 3
James Buchan who arrived in New York in 1774
Thomas Buchan, who arrived in New York city in 1775
Thomas Buchan, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1775 3

Buchan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Buchan, aged 29, who arrived in South Carolina in 1812 3
George Buchan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 3
George Buchan, who arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1821
Sarah Buchan, aged 58, who landed in New York in 1854 3
James Buchan, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1877 3

Buchan migration to Australia +

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

Buchan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander Buchan, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
William Buchan, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "South Australian" in 1837 5
Frederick George Buchan, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Fitzjames"

Buchan 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:

Buchan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Mathew Buchan, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 14th October 1860 6
Mrs. Margrie Buchan, (b. 1826), aged 37, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 6
Mr. William Buchan, (b. 1826), aged 37, British ploughman travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 6
Miss Marjory Buchan, (b. 1849), aged 14, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 6
Miss Helen Buchan, (b. 1852), aged 11, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Buchan (post 1700) +

Peter Buchan (1790-1854), Scottish editor, and Scottish Ballad collector, born at Peterhead in 1790, traced his descent from the Comyns, Earls of Buchan 7
Elspeth Buchan (1738-1791), née Simpson, Scottish head of a religious sect generally known as ‘Buchanites,’ daughter of John Simpson and Margaret Gordon 7
Martin McLean Buchan (b. 1949), Scottish football player
Norman Findlay Buchan, Scottish politician, member of the UK Parliament
Sir John Buchan (1875-1940), Scottish novelist, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada, best known for his novel "The Thirty-Nine Steps"
David Buchan, Scottish naval officer and Arctic explorer
William Buchan (1729-1805), Scottish physician
Alexander Buchan (1829-1907), Scottish meteorologist
Alastair Francis Buchan (1918-1976), Scottish authority on geopolitics
James Buchan (b. 1954), British novelist and journalist
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Buchan 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: Non inferioria secutus
Motto Translation: Not having followed mean pursuits.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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 Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SOUTH AUSTRALIAN 1837-1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837SouthAustralian.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019