Alda History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy
Scotland
Ireland

An ancient Strathclyde-Briton family from the Scottish/English Borderlands were the first to use the name Alda. They lived at Auld in Ayrshire.

Early Origins of the Alda family

The surname Alda was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where the surname was recorded as Ealda in an Old English charter of 765. The family continued to prosper in this area for centuries and by 1284, John Alde was listed as servitor of the Earl of Carrick. By 1302 they had also acquired estates in Perthshire. 1

Early History of the Alda family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alda research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1477, 1488, 1494, 1501, 1532, 1542, 1635 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Alda History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alda Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Alda has been spelled Auld, Alda, Alde, Ald, Aulde, MacAuld and others.

Early Notables of the Alda family

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

Migration of the Alda family to Ireland

Some of the Alda 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.

Migration of the Alda family

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them: Robert Auld of Kilbride who was banished to North America in 1679.

Contemporary Notables of the name Alda (post 1700) +

Robert Alda (1914-1986), American actor, father of actor Alan Alda
Alan Alda (b. 1936), American five-time Emmy Award and six-time Golden Globe Award winning actor, director and screenwriter best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H
Frances Alda (1879-1952), New Zealand/Australian operatic soprano
Alda Grimaldi (1919-2023), known as Dada, an Italian director and actress who was active from the 1940s to the 1960s

The Alda 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: Virtute et constantia
Motto Translation: By courage and perseverance.

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)