Archibaldson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands spawned many enduring Scottish names. Archibaldson comes from this Boernician region and 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 Archibaldson family

The surname Archibaldson 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 Archibaldson family

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

Archibaldson Spelling Variations

Spelling rules only evolved in the last few centuries with the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries. Spelling variations are extremely common in names from before that period. Archibaldson has been spelled Archbold, Archbald, Archibaldson, Archibald, Archibold, Harchbald, Arkanbaldus, Archebald and many more.

Early Notables of the Archibaldson family

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

Migration of the Archibaldson family to Ireland

Some of the Archibaldson 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 Archibaldson family

After making their great crossing, many Boernician-Scottish families settled along the east coast of North America. When the War of Independence broke out, United Empire Loyalists moved north to Canada while the rest stayed to fight. The ancestors of many of these Scots still populate the continent. This century, through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations, they began to rediscover their collective national heritage. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Archibaldson or a variant listed above: 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 Archibaldson 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.

Citations +

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