Show ContentsSouter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The descendants of the clans of the ancient Scottish tribe known as the Picts were the first to use the name Souter. It was a name for a cobbler. The name is derived from the Old English word soutere, which in turn comes from the Old Norse word sutare, which means shoemaker or cobbler. [1] [2]

We include this excerpt from a 16th century play:

"Of that surname I neid nocht be aschomit

For I con mak schone, butekins and buittis:

Gif me the coppie of the king's cuittis,

And ye sail se, richt sune, quhat I can do."

Sir David Lindsay, Ane Satyre of the Thrie Esteaites, June 1552.

Roughly translated into more modern English:

"Of that surname I need not be ashamed, for I can make schone, butekins, and buittis" (boots) "give me a copy of the king's cuittis and ye shall see, right soon, what I can do."

Early Origins of the Souter family

The surname Souter 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.

The first on record was Roger Sutor who held land in Dumfries, a. 1214, and later, Kolin, son of Anegus the Souter, was present at the pleas held at Dull in Angus in 1264. Bernard called Sutor had a charter of a house in the tenement of Drumelzier, c. 1300-1320. Fynlai sutor was prepositus of Stirling, 1327, and in 1330 Symon sutor was prepositus of the burgh of Culan. [3]

Further south in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 recorded John le Suter, Cambridgeshire; and William le Sutere, Cambridgeshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 elude to the occupational nature of the name: Johannes de Morton, souter; Johannes Schether, souter; Johannes Sowter, sutor; and Adam Souterson, souiert. [4]

Early History of the Souter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Souter research. Another 369 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1110, 1327, 1375, 1402, 1422, 1438, 1457, 1460, 1464, 1511, 1527, 1586, 1633, 1660 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Souter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Souter Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. spelling variations are common among Scottish names. Souter has been spelled Souter, Suter, Sutar, Souttar, Soutar, Sutter, Shuter and many more.

Early Notables of the Souter family

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


United States Souter migration to the United States +

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through Clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name Souter:

Souter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Jakob Souter, who landed in America in 1731 [5]
  • Hans Martin Souter, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 [5]
  • Anna Margaretha Souter, aged 3, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 [5]
  • Hans Henry Souter, aged 7, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 [5]
  • Maria Margaretha Souter, aged 6, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 [5]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Souter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Souter, who landed in New York in 1832 [5]
  • William Souter, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1879 [5]
  • Rengenlann Souter, who arrived in Arkansas in 1888 [5]

Australia Souter migration to Australia +

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

Souter Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Bell Souter, (Isabel), Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl of Liverpool" in December 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [6]
  • Mr. James Souter, (b. 1791), aged 40, English convict who was convicted in Durham, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
  • Mr. Samuel Souter, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [8]
  • William Souter, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 [9]
  • Joseph Souter, aged 24, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Macedon" [10]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Souter 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:

Souter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Charles Souter, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Mr. Charles Souter, (b. 1797), aged 44, British baker travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [11]
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Souter, (b. 1808), aged 33, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [11]
  • Mr. Souter, (b. 1831), aged 10, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [11]
  • Mr. Souter, (b. 1834), aged 7, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 [11]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Souter (post 1700) +

  • David Hackett Souter (b. 1939), American Rhodes Scholar and Associate Supreme Court Justice from 1990 to 2009
  • Dale Souter, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1938; Circuit Judge in Michigan 17th Circuit, 1943-59 [12]
  • Clyde D. Souter, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nevada, 1936, 1944, 1948; Nevada Republican State Chair, 1937 [12]
  • Alfred E. Souter, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Board of Agriculture, 1913 [12]
  • Dave Souter (1940-2020), Scottish professional footballer who played in 124 matches
  • Sir Brian Souter (b. 1954), Scottish businessman and philanthropist, founder of Megabus, and the train operating company South West Trains
  • Alexander Souter (1873-1949), Scottish biblical scholar
  • Camille Souter HRHA (1929-2023), born Betty Pamela Holmes, a British-born Irish abstract and landscape artist who lived and worked on Achill Island
  • Richard Michael Thomas Souter (1914-1997), 25th Baron Audley

HMS Cornwall
  • Joseph Souter (d. 1942), British Able Seaman aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking [13]


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. 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)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. 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)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-of-liverpool
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN RENWICK 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837JohnRenwick.htm
  10. South Australian Register Tuesday 11 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MACEDON 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/macedon1853.shtml
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  13. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A


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