Show ContentsMenzies History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The earliest known forbear of the surname is Robert de Manieres, a Norman from Mesnieres, near Rouen, Normandy. His name appeared in the "Roll of Battle Abbey," an honor roll of all those who fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 AD. He was first granted land in Kent and Surrey under Odo, Bishop of Bayeux.

One branch of the family remained in England to eventually become the Dukes of Rutland with the surname of Manners, the Normanized Saxon way of pronouncing this name. However, with growing dissatisfaction under the Conqueror's rule, one branch of the family (it is not certain whether this was the most senior branch) moved north, probably with Margaret, King Malcolm Ceanmore's second wife, where they were granted lands in Lothian. They moved from the Lowlands into the Highlands in about 1090. They settled in the Lands of Culdares in Glenylon.

Early Origins of the Menzies family

The surname Menzies was first found in Midlothian, where it is quite understandable that the native Gaelic had difficulty with this Norman surname, and it can be found in various forms, among them: Mengues, Mingies and Meyners.

The reason for these variations is the attempt to pronounce the "y" in Menyers (another variation of the original) in the Gaelic results in a cross between the sound of a "y" and that of a "g". Within a century the Clan were truly Gaelicized, although for Court purposes the first Chief retained the name of Sir Robert de Meyners.

Sir Robert had risen in court circles, under King Alexander II to the position of Chamberlain of Scotland in 1249. The earliest surviving charter of this Clan is held by the Moncreiffes. In the Charter we find a grant of Lands of Culdares (now spelt Culdair) "as freely, quietly, fully and honorably as any Baron within the Kingdom of Scotland is able to give such land." The witnesses to this deed, which established a barony within the Earldom of Atholl, were David de Meyneris and also Alexander de Meyneris.

Sir Robert was also granted lands in Rannoch that had belonged to King Alexander's own family. One cannot then help but conjecture that he had, in fact, married one of the King's daughters (that his sons took the Royal name of David, and Alexander may be evidence to this), however, this is not recorded. Sir Alexander, Sir Robert's son, was granted Aberfeldybeg in Strath Tay and the property of Weem. The reason for these grants is again not recorded, but we may draw the same conclusion.

Early History of the Menzies family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Menzies research. Another 250 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1329, 1423, 1487, 1510, 1571, 1587, 1599, 1671 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Menzies History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Menzies Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Menzies, Menigees, Mennes, Mengzes, Menzeys, Minges, Méinn (Gaelic) and many more.

Early Notables of the Menzies family

More information is included under the topic Early Menzies Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Menzies Ranking

In the United States, the name Menzies is the 17,655th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1] However, in New Zealand, the name Menzies is ranked the 614th most popular surname with an estimated 1,163 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the Menzies family to Ireland

Some of the Menzies family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Menzies migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Menzies Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Archibald and Robert Menzies, who settled in Virginia in 1716
  • Archibald Menzies, who landed in Virginia in 1716 [3]
  • Robert Menzies, who landed in Virginia in 1716 [3]
  • Elizabeth Menzies, who landed in North Carolina in 1739 [3]
  • Adam Menzies, who arrived in Virginia in 1750-1751 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Menzies Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Menzies, aged 32, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 [3]
  • James Menzies, aged 19, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 [3]
  • Joseph Menzies, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1875 [3]
  • David M Menzies, who arrived in California in 1875 [3]

Canada Menzies migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Menzies Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Ensign. Alex Menzies U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the Loyalist Corps [4]
  • Mr. Alex Menzies U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 [4]
  • Mr. G. L. Menzies U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 [4]
  • Mr. John Menzies U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he was a Merchant by trade [4]
  • Major. Sarah Menzies U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in DeLancey's 3rd Battalion [4]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Menzies migration to Australia +

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

Menzies Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Menzies, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [5]
  • Miss Christian Menzies, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 22nd January 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]
  • James Menzies, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "William Money" [7]
  • James Menzies, aged 22, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Money" in 1849 [7]
  • Miss. Jane Menzies, Scottish convict who was convicted in Ayr, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baretto Junior" on 5th April 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [8]

New Zealand Menzies 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:

Menzies Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Dr. Menzies, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Despatch" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1854 [9]
  • Miss Ann Menzies, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 [9]
  • Mr. George Menzies, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 [9]
  • Miss Mary Menzies, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 [9]
  • Miss Janet Menzies, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 [9]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Menzies (post 1700) +

  • Heather Menzies Urich (1945-2018), Canadian-American model and actress from Toronto, Ontario, known for her roles as Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 film The Sound of Music and as Jessica 6 in the TV series Logan's Run, widow of Robert Urich
  • William Cameron Menzies (1896-1957), Academy Award-winning American film director
  • John K. Menzies (b. 1948), former United States Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • Henry Menzies (1867-1938), Canadian-born, Scottish rugby player
  • Archibald Menzies (1754-1842), Scottish surgeon and naturalist
  • Alex "Big Ming" Menzies, Scottish professional footballer
  • George Menzies (1930-2016), New Zealand rugby league player and coach for the New Zealand National Team (1974-1975)
  • Tobias Menzies (b. 1974), English actor
  • Major General Sir Stewart Menzies KCB, KCMG, DSO, MC (1939-1952), Head of British Secret Intelligence Service 1939 to 1952
  • Heather Menzies (b. 1949), Canadian actress, married name of Heather Urich, best known for her role as Louisa Von Trapp in The Sound Of Music
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMAS Sydney II
RMS Lusitania
  • Miss Isabella Menzies, American 2nd Class passenger from Yakima, Washington, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [11]


The Menzies 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: Vil God I zal
Motto Translation: Will God I shall.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  3. 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)
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) "WILLIAM MONEY" 1848-49. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849WmMoney.htm
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baretto-junior
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  11. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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