Show ContentsEctor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Ector family

The surname Ector was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, 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. According to Arthurian legend, Sir Ector (sometimes Hector, Antor, or Ectorius) was the father of Sir Kay and the foster father of King Arthur.

Early History of the Ector family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ector research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1369, 1535 and 1565 are included under the topic Early Ector History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ector Spelling Variations

Repeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. Ector has appeared Hector, Heckie and others.

Early Notables of the Ector family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

  • Hector of Angus

Ector Ranking

In the United States, the name Ector is the 13,798th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Ector family

Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Ector: John Hector settled in Maryland in 1747; Caspar Hector settled in New Jersey in 1771; Frederick Hector settled in Pennsylvania in 1772; Elizabeth, James, Margaret Hector arrived in New York in 1820..


Contemporary Notables of the name Ector (post 1700) +

  • Matthew Duncan Ector (1822-1879), American politician, Member of Georgia State Legislature; Member of Texas State Legislature, 1855 2
  • Alexander Ector Orr (1831-1914), American businessman in New York City, influential in the building the NYC subway system, President of the New York Produce Exchange (1887-1888), President of the New York Chamber of Commerce (1894)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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