Contents [hide]

Kirkland History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Kirkland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

In ancient Scotland, the first people to use Kirkland as a surname were the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name someone who lived in Cumberland, at Kirkland or in Lancashire at Kirkland. Both place names have essentially the same origin: "estate belonging to a church" having been derived from the Viking word "kirkja" + "land." Kirkland in Cumberland (Cumbria) was first recorded as Kyrkeland c. 1140. 1

Early Origins of the Kirkland family

The surname Kirkland was first found in Cumberland, at Kirkland, a township, in the parish and union of Garstang, hundred of Amounderness as Homines de Kyrkelaund, recorded there during the reign of Edward I. 2

Later the parish of Kirkland in Lancashire, England was another family seat. "After the lapse of a century, it belonged to William de Kirkland, whose name was derived from his residence, and who died in 1363." 3

As one would expect having a close proximity to Scotland, "There are many places of this name in the shires of Dumfries, Ayr, Lanark, Stirling, etc., from one or other of which the surname may have been derived. Johannes filius John de Kyrkeland held land in the territory of Gordon, c. 1280 and later William de Kyrkland was burgess of Glasgow, 1424. Again in Glasgow, listed there was Alan de Kyrklande (1463) and John de Kirkland (1471.) 4

Early History of the Kirkland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kirkland research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1585, 1586, 1721, 1741, 1760, 1770, 1774, 1790, 1797, 1798, 1808, 1810, 1828, 1840 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kirkland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirkland Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Kirkland has been spelled Kirkland, Kirkeland, Kirtland and others.

Early Notables of the Kirkland family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Kirkland M.D. (1721-1798), Scottish medical writer. He practiced at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. In January 1760 he was called in to attend the steward of Lord Ferrers after he had been s...
Samuel Kirkland (1741-1808) was an American Presbyterian minister and missionary among the Oneida and Tuscarora peoples of present-day central New York State. He was a long-time friend of the Oneida c...
His grandson, John Thornton Kirkland (1770-1840) was an American Congregational clergyman who served as President of Harvard University from 1810 to 1828. He is remembered chiefly for his lenient trea...

Kirkland Ranking

In the United States, the name Kirkland is the 953^rd most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Kirkland family to Ireland

Some of the Kirkland family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kirkland migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

Kirkland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Phillips and Nathaniel Kirkland, who settled in Lynn Massachusetts in 1635
Phillip Kirkland, (Kyrtland) aged 21, from Buckinghamshire, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Hopewell", bound for Lynn. MA 6
Nathaniel Kirkland, (Kyrtland) aged 19, from Buckinghamshire, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Hopewell", bound for Lynn. MA 6
John Kirkland, who settled in New Jersey in 1685

Kirkland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles and George Kirkland both arrived in Philadelphia in 1813 and 1832 respectively

Kirkland migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kirkland Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. James Kirkland, aged 1 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Erin's Queen" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 7
Mr. James Kirkland, aged 33 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing from the port of Sligo, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 7

Kirkland migration to Australia +

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

Kirkland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Kirkland, aged 25, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Joseph Rowan" 8
John Kirkland, aged 30, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Marion" 9
Edward Kirkland, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Frenchman"

Kirkland migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kirkland Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

W Kirkland, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Mrs. Kirkland, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia with 2 children aboard the ship "Brilliant" arriving in New Zealand in 1841 10
Miss Mary Kirkland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand via Nelson and Wellington on 1st March 1852 10
Miss Margaret Kirkland, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand via Nelson and Wellington on 1st March 1852 10
Mr. George Kirkland, Scottish settler travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th October 1861 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kirkland (post 1700) +

Joseph Lane Kirkland (1922-1999), American labor union leader, President of the AFL-CIO for over sixteen years, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
James Hampton Kirkland (1859-1939), American academic, 2nd Chancellor of Vanderbilt University
Boyd D. Kirkland (1950-2011), American television director of animated cartoons
James Ian Kirkland (b. 1954), American paleontologist and geologist
Caroline Kirkland (1801-1864), American writer
Gelsey Kirkland (b. 1952), American ballet dancer
Lenton F. Kirkland, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
Thomas Kirkland (1721-1798), Scottish medial writer and physician, member of the Royal Medical Societies of Edinburgh and London
Douglas Kirkland (1934-2022), Canadian-born American photographer born Fort Erie, Ontario who became famous for his 1961 photos of Marilyn Monroe taken for Look's 25th anniversary issue
John Kirkland (1938-2021), British businessman and CEO (Bowmer + Kirkland), chairman of Derby County Football Club
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Kirkland family +

HMS Hood

Mr. John D Kirkland (b. 1916), Scottish Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 12

HMS Repulse

Mr. Arthur George Kirkland, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking, was killed in action 13
Mr. Arthur George Kirkland, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 13

RMS Titanic

Father Charles Leonard Kirkland (d. 1912), aged 52, Scottish Second Class passenger from Glasgow, Scotland who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 14

The Kirkland 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: Facta non verba
Motto Translation: Deeds not words.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 38)
South Australian Register Saturday 17th June 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Joseph Rowan 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/josephrowan1854.shtml
South Australian Register Tuesday 12th December 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marion 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marion1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html