Show ContentsGouty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

An ancient Strathclyde-Briton family from the Scottish/English Borderlands were the first to use the name Gouty. They lived in Edinburghshire, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages. Gouty is an ancient Scottish name that evolved from the Goldie, which derives from the Old English personal name Gold.

Early Origins of the Gouty family

The surname Gouty was first found in Edinburghshire, where the name appears from about 1598 onwards and later in the forms Gowdie, Gaudie, Goddie. "Robert Gowdie was a writer in Edinburgh, 1643 and John Gawdie was one of 'those who ere matriculat in the Companie of Merchands of Edinbergh,' 1687. William Goudie in Ayr, 1689. The surname was early carried to the north appearing in Shetland first in 1576 in the person of Gawane Gadie of Lougasettar, Dunrossness." 1

Early History of the Gouty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gouty research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1576, 1643, 1689, 1783 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Gouty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gouty 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. Gouty has been spelled Goudie, Gouday, Goudey, Goudy, Gowdy, Gowdie, Gadie, Goodie, Gady and many more.

Early Notables of the Gouty family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gouty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Gouty family to Ireland

Some of the Gouty family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Gouty migration to the United States +

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:

Gouty Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Gouty, who arrived in Virginia in 1616 2


The Gouty 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: Honestas
Motto Translation: Honesty.


  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. 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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook