| ![Show Contents]() Somerland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Etymology of SomerlandWhat does the name Somerland mean? Somerland was first used as a name by Viking settlers in ancient Scotland. It was a name for a the Old Norse word sumarlithi, which means mariner, Viking, summer wanderer, or sailor. Early Origins of the Somerland familyThe surname Somerland was first found in the island of South Uist, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Descended from Somerled, King of the Vikings, scion of the MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, who died about 1057. The first record of the name Somerled being used as a name was at Dunkeld, and the link between this person in 1169 and Somerled who had died 100 years before is not clear. Another source notes that Sumerled or Somerled, Lord of the Isles (d. 1164), was "according to the Celtic tradition, the son of Gillebrede, son of Gilladoman, sixth in descent from Godfrey MacFergus, called in the Irish chronicle Toshach of the Isles; but some suppose him of Norse origin. " 1 Early History of the Somerland familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Somerland research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1238 and 1400 are included under the topic Early Somerland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Somerland Spelling VariationsScottish names from the Middle Ages vary enormously in their spellings. This is a result of the fact that there were no universal standards like dictionaries for scribes to judge by. The recorded spelling variations of the name Somerland include Somerled, M'Illurdy, M'Corle, M'Coull and many more. Early Notables of the Somerland familyMore information is included under the topic Early Somerland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Somerland migration to the United States | + |
Settlers found farms all along the eastern part of what would become the United States and Canada. They provided a base and a backbone that would strengthen two great nations in the making. In the 20th century, the ancestors of those brave Scots have rediscovered their heritage through highland games and Scottish historical societies. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name Somerland or a variant listed above, including:
Somerland Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Philip Jacob Somerland, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 2
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: Per Mare Per Terras
Motto Translation: By sea and by land.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- 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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