Show ContentsBalderson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Balderson is an ancient Scottish name that was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is a name for someone who lived in the region of West Lothian or Linlithgow.

Early Origins of the Balderson family

The surname Balderson was first found in West Lothian, or Linlithgow, where they were very anciently seated. The lands of Balderstone were originally held by a man named Baldhere or Bealdhere, or Baldheres town. He held a family seat there about the year 1150.

Early History of the Balderson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balderson research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1599, 1628, 1634 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Balderson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balderson Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Balderson has been spelled Balderstone, Balderstoun, Balderston, Balderton, Batherstain, Baldirston, Baldirstone, Baldirstan, Baldirstoun, Baldeston and many more.

Early Notables of the Balderson family

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


United States Balderson migration to the United States +

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them:

Balderson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Balderson, who landed in New England in 1747 [1]
Balderson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Edith G. Balderson, aged 22, who immigrated to America from Balham, England, in 1908
  • Eric Richard Balderson, aged 23, who landed in America from London, England, in 1912
  • Florence P. Balderson, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1912
  • Frederick George Balderson, aged 24, who landed in America from London, England, in 1912
  • Robert Balderson, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Balderson migration to Australia +

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

Balderson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Balderson, English convict who was convicted in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England for 15 years transported aboard the "Forfarshire" on 24th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Balderson (post 1700) +

  • Troy Balderson, American politician, Republican member of the Ohio Senate
  • Richard Pendleton "Dick" Balderson (b. 1946), American Major League Baseball executive
  • Walter Balderson (b. 1926), American Emmy Award winning television editor and video engineer, one of the first editors to use videotape for instant replay of sports events
  • Stephen Clark Balderson (b. 1975), American film director
  • Russell Balderson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from District of Columbia, 1940, 1944; District of Columbia Democratic Party chair, 1945 [3]
  • Scott Balderson (b. 1989), Australian-born, English football midfielder


The Balderson 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: Constance et ferme
Motto Translation: Perserverance and decision.


  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. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forfarshire
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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