Intosh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Intosh

What does the name Intosh mean?

The Intosh surname comes from the Anglicized form of the Gaelic name, Mac an Toisich. Intosh is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronymic surnames were formed by adopting the given name of an ancestor of the bearer, while others came from popular religious names, and from the names of secular heroes. The surname Intosh comes from the Gaelic name Mac an Toisich, which means "son of the chief, leader, or thane." Members of this distinguished Pictish family were originally found in Moray.

Intosh Coat of Arms Creation

There exists a declaration from the Lord Lyon in the year 1672 in favour of the Laird of Macintosh, which says that he is the only undoubted Chief of the name of Macintosh and of the Clan Chattan, which comprehended Macpherson, Macgillivray, Farquharson, Macqueen, Macphail, Macbean, and others. This ended the claims of the chief of the Macphersons to be chief of the Clan Chattan.

In common with the Macphersons and the Sutherlands, they have a cat as their crest. Like the Macphersons, their motto is " Touch not the cat bot (without) a glove," and they have in their arms a right hand holding a dagger as a badge of their faithfulness to King Robert the Bruce in killing his enemy, the Cumming. They claim to be descended from Macduff, a Thane of Fife, and for this reason they have the red lion of Scotland in their shield. The boar's head in their shield shows that Lachlan Macintosh married Jean Gordon of Lochinvar, and there is a lymphad in memory of ancestors being driven to the coast of Caithness (Cattu), or as Nisbet has it, for marry-ing the heiress of the Clan Chattan. 1

Early Origins of the Intosh family

The surname Intosh was first found in Moray (part of the modern region of Grampian). The Intosh family is said to descend from Seach MacDuff, who was awarded the lands of Petty and Breachley in Inverness-shire and was appointed Constable of Inverness Castle for his support of King Malcolm IV in the suppression of a rebellion in Morayshire in 1160. A son of Seach then assumed the name "Mac-an-Toisch," and thus began the Clan MacIntosh.

Early History of the Intosh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Intosh research. Another 424 words (30 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1314, 1336, 1396, 1411, 1594, 1704, 1715, 1745, 1746, 1833, 1890 and 1957 are included under the topic Early Intosh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Intosh Spelling Variations

In medieval Scotland, names were more often spelled according to sound than any regular set of rules. An enormous number of spelling variations were the result. Over the years, the name Intosh has been spelled Kyntosh, Intosh, Intoch, Toshe, Tosh, McKyntosh, McKintosh, McKintoisch, McKintoch, McIntosh, McComtosh, McKintowse, McIntosh, MacKyntosh, MacIntoch, MacIntosh, McIntoch, Mackintowse, MacKintosh and many more.

Early Notables of the Intosh family

William, 7th Chief of Mackintosh, who first acquired Moy, in 1336

Migration of the Intosh family to Ireland

Some of the Intosh family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Intosh migration to the United States +

In such difficult times, Ireland, Australia, and North America looked like better homes for many Scots. The trips were expensive and grueling, but also rewarding, as the colonies were havens for those unwelcome in the old country. That legacy did not die easily, though, and many were forced to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. The Scottish legacy has resurface in more recent times, though, through Clan societies, highland games, and other organizations. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the old Scottish name of Intosh:

Intosh Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jane Intosh, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 2
William Intosh, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 2

Intosh Motto and War Cry +

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: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Motto Translation: Don't touch the cat without a glove.
War Cry: "Loch Moy."

Sources +

Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
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)