| ![Show Contents]() Scotts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of ScottsWhat does the name Scotts mean? In the ancient Scottish-English border region, the ancestors of the name Scotts lived among the Boernicians. They lived in Roxburgh (now part of the region of Borders), Scotland. The surname Scott is of local origin as it denotes one who came from Scotland as in the Scot. The double 't' in Scott is now universal. Other records claim the name was for someone in England, who came to be from Scotland. Pre-dating surnames, the name may have been used for a Gaelic speaker within Scotland, who arrived with the Gaelic Dalriadans from Ireland in around 500 AD. Scotts Coat of Arms CreationThe crest of Scott of Dunninald is a lion's head. There are two mottoes, " Tace aut face " (Be silent or do), and " Spe vires augentur " (Strength is increased by hope). This branch of the Scotts is descended from Michael Scott, the wizard. Another Scott has a flaming beacon as his crest, and the motto, " Regi fidelis patrice-que " (Faithful to King and country). Another has as a crest an arm holding in the hand a scroll, and yet another has a crescent, from which is seen issuing a bee, and the motto, " Invitum sequitur honor " (Honour follows though unsought). None of the Scotts now has as a crest a mural crown, from which issue six horsemen's lances with pennons, though that crest was given by James V. to John Scott of Thirlestane, who led three score and ten " Launciers " on horseback, willing to go with that King to England when all the nobles and others refused, and the King's letter to the Lion Herald says, " To give and to grant to John Scott an bundle of launces above his helmet with the words Ready aye ready ' as a token of our goodwill and kindness for his true worthiness." Why do none of the Scotts have this crest now ? The Duke of Buccleuch is a Scott. His crest is a stag tripping. The motto is " Amo " (I love), which was assumed by his predecessor when he got his first estate by marrying the heiress of Murdistoun. The shield shows the alliances made with the Douglas and Mar families. 1 Early Origins of the Scotts familyThe surname Scotts was first found in Roxburghshire, where a family seat was held on the lands of Ballendan at the head of the Ale water in that county. They descended from Uchtredus Scott who held the lands before 1107; he is on record as a witness to the foundation charter of Selkirk in 1120. Another early record is of Henricus le Scotte, who witnessed a charter by David Earl of Strathearn around 1195. By 1200, this great Clan controlled the borderlands of the Middle Marches of West Teviotdale, Ewesdale, Liddesdale, Buccleuch and Balweariel. 2 Early History of the Scotts familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scotts research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1450, 1565, 1611, 1644, 1647, 1649, 1661, 1674, 1685, 1693, 1705, 1745, 1771, 1832 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Scotts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Scotts Spelling VariationsSpelling rules only evolved in the last few centuries with the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries. Spelling variations are extremely common in names from before that period. Scotts has been spelled Scott, Scot, Skotts, Scot, Scotach, Scott, Schotts and many more. Early Notables of the Scotts familyNotable amongst the family name during their early history was Walter Scott of Buccleuch (1565-1611), a Scottish nobleman and famous border reiver, known as the "Bold Buccleuch"; Mary Scott, 3rd Countess of Buccleuch and Countess of Tarras (1647-1661) Scottish peeress who married at the age of 11; Walter Scott, 1st Earl of Tarras (1644-1693), a Scottish nobleman who...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Scotts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Scotts family to IrelandSome of the Scotts family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Scotts migration to the United States | + |
After making their great crossing, many Boernician-Scottish families settled along the east coast of North America. When the War of Independence broke out, United Empire Loyalists moved north to Canada while the rest stayed to fight. The ancestors of many of these Scots still populate the continent. This century, through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations, they began to rediscover their collective national heritage. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Scotts or a variant listed above:
Scotts Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Ralph Scotts, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 3
- William Scotts, who landed in Virginia in 1665 3
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: Amo
Motto Translation: I love
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- 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)
- 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)
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