Show ContentsAult History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The age-old Scottish surname Ault was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people. The Ault family lived at Auld in Ayrshire.

Early Origins of the Ault family

The surname Ault 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 surname was recorded as Ealda in an Old English charter of 765. The family continued to prosper in this area for centuries and by 1284, John Alde was listed as servitor of the Earl of Carrick. By 1302 they had also acquired estates in Perthshire. 1

Early History of the Ault family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ault research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1477, 1488, 1494, 1501, 1532, 1542, 1635 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Ault History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ault Spelling Variations

In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Ault has been spelled Auld, Alda, Alde, Ald, Aulde, MacAuld and others.

Early Notables of the Ault family

More information is included under the topic Early Ault Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ault Ranking

In the United States, the name Ault is the 4,505th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Ireland Migration of the Ault family to Ireland

Some of the Ault family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Ault migration to the United States +

Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them:

Ault Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Ault Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Ault, who landed in America in 1795 3

Canada Ault migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ault Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Corn's Ault, U.E., United Empire Loyalist, who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 353 on board the "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River New York 4
  • Mr. Everhart Ault, U.E., United Empire Loyalist, who settled in Eastern District, Upper Canada c. 1783 4
  • Mr. Johannes Ault, U.E., United Empire Loyalist, who settled in Canada c. 1783 4
  • Mr. Johannes Ault, U.E., aka "John", United Empire Loyalist, who settled in Matilda [South Dundas], Ontario c. 1783 4
  • Mr. John Ault, Sr., U.E., United Empire Loyalist, who settled in Canada c. 1783 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Ault migration to Australia +

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

Ault Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Josiah Ault, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Stebonheath" in 1849 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Ault (post 1700) +

  • George Copeland Ault (1891-1948), American painter
  • Doug Ault (1950-2004), American Major League Baseball player
  • Chris Ault (b. 1946), head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack football team
  • William Bowen Ault (1898-1942), commander in the United States Navy during World War II and a posthumous recipient of the Navy Cross 6
  • William A. Ault, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Ohio State House of Representatives from Medina County, 1897; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1904 7
  • Otto T. Ault, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, 1948-53 7
  • Henry W. Ault, American politician, Mayor of Elyria, Ohio, 1951-53 7
  • Donald L. Ault, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1972 7
  • Becky Ault, American politician, Mayor of Centralia, Illinois, 2007 7
  • Warren Ault (1886-1989), American historian and Rhodes Scholar
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Ault 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: Virtute et constantia
Motto Translation: By courage and perseverance.


Suggested Readings for the name Ault +

  • The Ault Genealogy by Garnet W. Ault.
  • Daniel Knarr and Lucinda Ault by Nellie Wallace Reeser.

  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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)
  4. 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
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STEBONHEATH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Stebonheath.htm
  6. William Ault. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) William Ault. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_B._Ault
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook