Contents [hide]

Car History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Car History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

One of the most common classes of Scottish surnames is the patronymic surname, which arose out of the vernacular and religious naming traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Patronymic surnames of this type were usually derived from the personal name of the original bearer's father. The surname Car is derived from the Gaelic name O'Ciarain or O'Ceirin, which itself comes from the Gaelic word ciar, which means black or dark brown. 1

Another source explains a different understanding of the origin of the name: "The frequency with which such entries as Robert or William del Carr, or atte Carr, or Karr, or Kerr recur in Lancashire and Yorkshire records of the 13th and 14th centuries is explained by the fact that Carr or Kerr meant a low-lying meadow." 2

And another source notes: "the Cars or Kers are undoubtedly a very ancient people in this island, but it is uncertain whether they be of French or English extraction. Those who contend for the former, allege that the Baron Ker and other families of his name now existing in France, trace their origin higher than the time of William, Duke of Normandy, who, being attended by a considerable commander of their name in 1066, rewarded him for his bravery and conduct with divers possessions in the north of England." 3

Early Origins of the Car family

The surname Car was first found in Lancashire (located in northwest England and dates back to 1180), where one of the earliest records of a progenitor of the Clan was a John Ker, hunter, resident of Soonhope in 1190 AD. He is believed to have received a grant of land from the Crown and settled in the Border country of Scotland soon after the Norman invasion moved northwards. 4

Within a century, two main branches evolved from two brothers, Ralph and John who lived near Jedburgh in c. 1330. They were both listed in the Roll of Battle Abbey as having descended from the Norman Karre. 5 The Kerrs of Cessford were descended from Ralph, and the Kerrs of Ferniehurst were descended from John.

Now we draw the reader's attention to a slightly different origin with a different timeline but similar. "Two brothers, of Anglo-Norman descent., who bore this name [Karre] are said to have settled in Scotland during the 13th century. No one known which was the elder of the two, for 'neither house would yield the superiority to the other, forming two distinct races of war-like Border chieftains.' The Kerrs of Fernihirst are represented by the Marquesses of Lothian, the Kers of Cessord by the Dukes of Roxburghe." 6

We believe that the reference to the 13th century is a typo, as it should have read 14th century (the 1300's) not the 1200's.

Early History of the Car family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Car research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1205, 1264, 1296, 1350, 1553, 1570, 1578, 1600, 1605, 1606, 1609, 1615, 1616, 1624, 1650, 1654, 1675, 1680, 1684, 1690, 1741, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Car History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Car Spelling Variations

Scottish surnames are distinguished by a multitude of spelling variations because, over the centuries, the names were frequently translated into and from Gaelic. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Car has also been spelled Kerr, Car, Carr, Ker, Cearr (Gaelic) and many more.

Early Notables of the Car family

Notable among the family at this time was

Robert Kerr (or Carr), 1st Earl of Ancram (c. 1578-1654), a Scottish nobleman and writer
Anne Carr, Countess of Bedford (1615-1684), English noblewoman, wife of William Russell, 5th Earl of Bedford

Car Ranking

In France, the name Car is the 3,553^rd most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Car family to Ireland

Some of the Car family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 155 words (11 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Car migration to the United States +

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Car, or a variant listed above:

Car Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Car, who landed in Virginia in 1642 8

Car Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Car, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1812 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Car (post 1700) +

Harold M. Van de Car, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 38th District, 1957 9
Bernard Ross "Barney Carr" Car (1923-2021), Northern Irish-born Gaelic football player and manager

The Car 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: Sero sed serio
Motto Translation: Late but in earnest.

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html