Show ContentsAuld History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Auld was first used as a surname in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Briton. The first Auld family lived at Auld in Ayrshire.

Early Origins of the Auld family

The surname Auld 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 Auld family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Auld 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 Auld History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Auld Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Auld has been spelled Auld, Alda, Alde, Ald, Aulde, MacAuld and others.

Early Notables of the Auld family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • John Auld of Irvine

Auld Ranking

In the United States, the name Auld is the 8,771st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the Auld family to Ireland

Some of the Auld 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 Auld migration to the United States +

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them:

Auld Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Auld of Kilbride who was banished to North America in 1679. He was sold as a slave in North Carolina for five years
Auld Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Auld, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1756 [3]
Auld Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Auld, who landed in America in 1805 [3]
  • Margaret Auld, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [3]
  • Mary Auld, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [3]
  • Mury Auld, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [3]
  • Alexander Auld, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1834 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Auld Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • James Auld, who landed in Colorado in 1904 [3]

Australia Auld migration to Australia +

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

Auld Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Kilpatrick Auld, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Glenswilly" in 1839 [4]
  • Eliza Auld, aged 37, a milliner, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Switzerland"
  • Marian Auld, aged 23, a dairy maid, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Escort"

New Zealand Auld 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:

Auld Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Auld, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Anne Longton" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th October 1857 [5]
  • H. Auld, Canadian settler travelling from Prince Edward Island aboard the ship "Prince Edward" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 13th May 1859 [6]
  • Miss Christina Auld, Scottish settler travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th October 1861 [6]
  • Agnes Auld, aged 25, a domestic servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Helenslee" in 1864 [7]
  • James Auld, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "India" in 1875 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Auld (post 1700) +

  • Georgie Auld (1919-1990), Canadian-born, American jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist and bandleader
  • Douglas "Doug" Auld (b. 1962), American editor and publisher of Sprint Car & Midget Magazine
  • Andy Auld (1900-1977), Scottish-born, American soccer player
  • Joseph C. Auld, American politician, Member of Montana State Senate from Dawson County, 1897-98 [8]
  • J. Henry Auld, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1960 [8]
  • Robert "Bertie" Auld (1938-2021), Scottish former football player and manager, member of the Scottish League XI National Team (1958-1965) and Scotland Team in 1959
  • Eric Auld FRSA (1931-2013), Scottish landscape painter
  • Andrew Auld (1799-1873), Scottish ship's carpenter and wheelwright, best friend of Captain Alexander Adams on his voyage to Hawaii; both men stayed and Auld's son married Adams' daughter
  • William Auld (1924-2006), Scottish author and the deputy director of a grammar school
  • Robin Morton Auld (b. 1959), South African singer-songwriter, guitarist, poet and writer
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Auld 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.


  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GLENSWILLY 1839 (also called DAWSONS). Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Glenswilly.htm
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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