Bernath History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The Bernath family name comes from a place name that was first used among the Viking settlers who arrived in the shores of Scotland in the Middle Ages. The Bernath name comes from someone having lived in the old barony of Binney, in the parish of Uphall, in the county of West Lothian.

Early Origins of the Bernath family

The surname Bernath was first found in the West Lothian, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

One of the first records of the family was William Bennings (fl. 1180), an English judge, "was, according to Giraldus Cambrensis, sent to Ireland by Henry II in 1176 as one of four envoys, of whom two were to remain with the viceroy, Richard FitzGilbert, earl of Striguil, and two were to return, bringing with them Reimund Fitzgerald, whose military exploits had aroused the king's jealousy. " 1

William Benyng or De Binn (fl. 1250), was an early Scottish "biographer, [who] may be presumed to have been a native of Binning in Linlithgowshire. He was proir of the Cistercian abbey of Newbattle until 1243, when he was elected abbot of Cupar. He resigned this office on 29 Sept. 1258, probably on account of old age. The date of his death is unknown. " 1

Early History of the Bernath family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bernath research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1243, 1258, 1411, 1627, 1653 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Bernath History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bernath Spelling Variations

Translation and spelling were non-standardized practices in the Middle Ages, so scribes had only their ears to rely on. This was a practice of extremely limited efficiency, and spelling variations in names, even within a single document, were the result. Over the years, Bernath has appeared Binney, Binning, Binnie, Benning, Bennyng, Bynnie, Bynny, Bynnyng, Byning, Bynning and many more.

Early Notables of the Bernath family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Hugh Binning, (1627-1653), Scottish philosopher and regent of the University of Glasgow. He was the son of John Binning of Dalvenan, Ayrshire. His maternal uncle was "one of the youthful martyrs of Scotland - Hugh...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bernath Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bernath migration to the United States +

The fertile east coast of what would become US and Canada was soon dotted with the farms of Scottish settlers. Some of them remained faithful to the crown and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others had the chance to pay back their old oppressors in the American War of Independence. That brave spirit lives on today in the highland games that dot North America in the summer. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Bernath family came to North America quite early:

Bernath Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jean Bernath, aged 25, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 2
Moses Bernath, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 2
Blumlein Bernath, who arrived in New York, NY in 1849 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Bernath (post 1700) +

Antonia Bernath (b. 1984), British-born, American actress and singer

The Bernath 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 doloque
Motto Translation: By valour and craft.

Citations +

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)