Buchanon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The annals of Scottish history reveal that Buchanon was first used as a name by ancestors of the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland. The Buchanon family lived in the great lands of Buchanan in Stirlingshire where this illustrious Clan held extensive territories since early times. Although many of today's members of the Clan Buchanan can trace their heritage as far back as McAlpin, the first to establish the name of Buchan was Anselan O'Kyan, son of the King of Ulster about 1016.

It is generally believed that the Buchanans of Auchmar received lands bordering Loch Lomond by King Malcolm II for services rendered against the Danes. And records do confirm that Walter de Buchanan had a land grant in Auchmarr in 1373. A Maurice Buchanan also acted as treasurer to Princess Margaret of France at this time.

Early Origins of the Buchanon family

The surname Buchanon was first found in Lennox. In Gaelic, "both-chanain" means "the seat of the canon," suggesting an ecclesiastical origin. The Clan received its name from the great lands of Buchanan in Stirlingshire where they had held extensive territories since early times. The earliest mention of the name placed him in Stirling (now part of the modern region of Central) where in an early document, a Dominus Absolone de Buchkan was a witness to a charter in 1224.

"The name of this place was originally Inchcaileoch, which it received from an island in Loch Lomond. This name is of uncertain origin; but the family who used it in consequence of having, at a very early period, obtained a grant of the lands so called, sprang from Anselan, a native of Ireland, who is supposed to have located himself here in the 11th century." 1

Early History of the Buchanon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buchanon research. Another 191 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1016, 1296, 1506, 1582, 1595, 1652, 1681, 1690, 1759 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Buchanon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buchanon Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. spelling variations are common among Scottish names. Buchanon has been spelled Buchanan, Bucanan, Bucanion, Bucanen, Bucanon, Buchannan, Buchannon, Buchannen, Buchanon, Buchanen, Bohannon and many more.

Early Notables of the Buchanon family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was George Buchanan (1506-1582), Scottish humanist, scholar, and educator; as well as John Buchanan of that Ilk (d. 1681), Clan Chief and last Laird of Buchanan and Buchanan of Arnprior.Andrew Buchanan (1690-1759), of Drumpellier, was Lord Provost of Glasgow, and was descended from a branch of the old family of Buchanan of Buchanan and Leny. He was the second of four sons of George Buchanan, maltster, Glasgow, one of the covenanters who fought at Bothwell Bridge. 2George Buchanan (1506-1582), was a Scottish scholar, and third son...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Buchanon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buchanon Ranking

In the United States, the name Buchanon is the 13,336^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Buchanon family to Ireland

Some of the Buchanon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buchanon migration to the United States +

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through Clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name Buchanon:

Buchanon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Buchanon, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 4
William Buchanon, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1868 4

Buchanon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Buchanon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Isabella Buchanon, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
James Buchanon, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Jennet Buchanon, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
John Buchanon, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

The Buchanon 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: Clarior hinc honos
Motto Translation: Brighter hence the honour.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)