Show ContentsArchabalde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Scottish/English Borderlands and their proud Boernician clans are the ancestral home of the Archabalde family. Their name is derived from the personal name Arcebold or Arcenbald which means "right bold", "precious bold" or "holy prince". 1

'So frequent was it (Archibald) in the houses of Campbell and Douglas, that, with its contractions of Archie and Baldie, it has become one of the most commonly used in Scotland, recalling many a fierce worthy, from old Archibald Bell-the Cat downwards.' 2

Early Origins of the Archabalde family

The surname Archabalde was first found in Roxburghshire, about 30 miles southeast of Edinburgh. They had been settled from very ancient times in the Kelso area. Before the name became a surname, there was mention of an "Achebaldus filius Swani de Forgrunde," during the reign of King William, the Lion, of Scotland (1143-1214). 1

"Thomas, the brother of Erkenbaldus, witnessed the gift of the church of Kilmaurs to the Abbey of Kelso before 1189 and Arkembaldus de Duffus was witness to an agreement between the bishop of Moray and John Byseth concerning the churches of Coneway and Dulbatelauch between 1203-1234. Robert Archebalde had a charter of the Hospital of Roxburgh in 1390 from Robert III and John Archibald was a witness in St. Andrews in 1545." 1

Early History of the Archabalde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Archabalde research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1390, 1545, 1650, 1785, 1822, 1870 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Archabalde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Archabalde Spelling Variations

Before the printing press and the first dictionaries appeared, names and other words were often spelled differently every time they were written. Archabalde has appeared under the variations Archbold, Archbald, Archibaldson, Archibald, Archibold, Harchbald, Arkanbaldus, Archebald and many more.

Early Notables of the Archabalde family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Archabalde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Archabalde family to Ireland

Some of the Archabalde family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Archabalde family

The Scots who crossed the Atlantic were often on the run from poverty as well as persecution. They brought little with them, and often had nothing of their home country to hand down to their children. In the 20th century, Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations have helped the ancestors of Boernician Scots to recover their lost national legacy. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Archabalde were among those contributors: James Archibald, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1627; John Archibald, who came to New England in 1650; George Archibald, who received a land grant in Virginia in 1676.



The Archabalde 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: Ut reficiar
Motto Translation: That I may be replenished.


  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. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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