Show ContentsCarse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient name Carse was first used by the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the Scotish word kerss, or carse, which describes low, fertile land, often next to a river. The surname may well be a habitational name taken on from any of several places so named, such as Carse of Falkirk, Carse of Forth, Carse of Gowrie, Carse in Kirkcudbrightshire, or Carse in Argyllshire.

Early Origins of the Carse family

The surname Carse was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Carse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carse research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1206 and 1410 are included under the topic Early Carse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carse 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. Carse has been spelled Carse, Carss, Cars, Carsey and others.

Early Notables of the Carse family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir Mark Carse of Fordelcarse


United States Carse 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:

Carse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Moses Carse who settled in Virginia in 1633
  • Moses Carse, who landed in Virginia in 1643 1
  • Katherine Carse, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 1
Carse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Carse, who landed in New Jersey in 1811 1
  • James Carse, who landed in Ohio in 1825 1
  • Robert Carse, who arrived in New York, NY in 1842 1
  • Jose Carse, aged 45, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1858 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Carse (post 1700) +

  • Matilda Bradley Carse (1835-1917), Irish-born American businesswoman, social reformer and leader of the temperance movement
  • James P. Carse, American Professor Emeritus of history and literature of religion at New York University
  • Henry Carse, American politician, Mayor of Rock Island, Illinois, 1880-83 2
  • George B. Carse, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Camden County, 1872-74 2
  • James Howe Carse (1819-1900), Scottish-born, Australian landscape painter
  • Alexander Carse (1770-1843), Scottish painter
  • William Alexander Carse (1914-2000), Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 122 games in the NHL
  • Stef Carse (b. 1966), stage name of Stéphane Dostie, a French-Canadian pop singer
  • James Alexander Carse (b. 1958), former Zimbabwean first class cricketer
  • Andreas Duncan Carse (1876-1938), British artist, father of the explorer Duncan Carse
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Carse 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: Nil fatalia terrent
Motto Translation: Things decreed by fate do not dismay us


  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. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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