Show ContentsArnot History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The current generations of the Arnot family have inherited a surname that was first used hundreds of years ago by descendants of the ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The Arnot family lived in the lands of Arnott in the parish of Portmoak in Kinross (now part of the region of Tayside), where one of the first times the name was listed was in 1150 when Michael de Arnoth was mentioned.

Early Origins of the Arnot family

The surname Arnot was first found in the lands of Arnott in the parish of Portmoak, Kinross-shire. The first chief, recorded, Michael Arnott, held those lands about 1150. David, of Fifeshire, his successor was recorded in 1296 when he paid homage to King Edward 1st of England.

Early History of the Arnot family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arnot research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1320, 1400, 1497, 1498, 1502, 1536, 1600, 1608, 1639, 1652, 1680, 1693, 1743, 1744, 1769, 1890 and 1918 are included under the topic Early Arnot History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arnot 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, Arnot has been spelled Arnott, Arnot, Arnatt, Arnocht, Arnote, Arnett, Anetts, Arnette, Ernot, Ernott, Annett, Annetts and many more.

Early Notables of the Arnot family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

  • David Arnot, C.R.S.A., (fl. 1497- c. 1536), Scottish canon regular and bishop from Arnot, Fife, Rector of Kirkforthar, Fife in 1497, Archdeacon of Lothian in 1498; Sir Michael Arnot, 1st Baronet (d. c...

Ireland Migration of the Arnot family to Ireland

Some of the Arnot family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Arnot 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 Arnot:

Arnot Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • David Arnot, who arrived in Virginia in 1716 [1]
  • Agnes, George, Jane, Samuel and William Arnot of one family, who, who settled in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1767
Arnot Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Arnot, aged 21, who landed in New York in 1801 [1]
  • A Arnot, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [1]
  • David Henry Arnot, who landed in New York in 1853 [1]

Canada Arnot migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Arnot Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Arnot Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • David M Arnot, who arrived in Canada in 1841
  • John B Arnot, who landed in Canada in 1841
  • Robert J Arnot, who arrived in Canada in 1841

Australia Arnot migration to Australia +

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

Arnot Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. David Millie Arnot, (b. 1807), aged 31, Scottish agricultural labourer who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years for embezzlement, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1872 [3]

New Zealand Arnot 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:

Arnot Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Peter Arnot, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Sevilla" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1859 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Arnot (post 1700) +

  • Melissa Arnot (b. 1983), American mountaineer who has summitted Mount Everest 5 times
  • Maynard E. Arnot, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1964 [5]
  • John Arnot Jr. (1831-1886), American Democratic Party politician, Village President of Elmira, New York, 1859-61; Mayor of Elmira, New York, 1864, 1870, 1874 [5]
  • George B. Arnot, American Republican politician, Chair of Rockland County Republican Party, 1927-29 [5]
  • E. D. Arnot Jr., American politician, Mayor of Zephyrhills, Florida, 1963-76 [5]
  • Hugo Arnot (1749-1786), Scottish historical writer, son of a merchant at Leith; he changed his name from Pollock to Arnot on succeeding to his mother's property of Balcormo, Fifeshire [6]
  • Frederick Stanley Arnot (1858-1914), Scottish missionary to what are now Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
  • Sir William Arnot (d. 1838), 9th Baronet, of Arnot in the County of Fife, Scotland
  • Sir Matthew Robert Arnot (d. 1801), 8th Baronet, of Arnot in the County of Fife, Scotland
  • Sir William Arnot (d. 1782), 7th Baronet, of Arnot in the County of Fife, Scotland
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Arnot 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: Speratum et completum
Motto Translation: Hoped for and Fulfilled.


  1. 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)
  2. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 Apr. 2019


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