Archie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The Boernician clans of the Scottish-English border region were home to the ancestors of the Archie 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 Archie family

The surname Archie 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 Archie family

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

Archie Spelling Variations

In the many years before the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries, names and other words were spelled according to sound, often differently with each person who wrote them. Spelling variations of Archie include Archbold, Archbald, Archibaldson, Archibald, Archibold, Harchbald, Arkanbaldus, Archebald and many more.

Early Notables of the Archie family

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

Archie Ranking

In the United States, the name Archie is the 4,319^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Archie family to Ireland

Some of the Archie 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 Archie family

In many cases, the ancestors of many of these Boernician-Scottish people are just now learning of their Scottish heritage. Since the trip was so arduous, and many were fleeing from poverty itself, settlers brought little with them and often had nothing of their personal history to hand down to their children. Clan societies and highland games have helped to correct this problem in the 20th century. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Archies to arrive on North American shores: 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.

Contemporary Notables of the name Archie (post 1700) +

William B. "Bill" Archie (1930-2022), American college athletics administrator and head football coach at Norfolk State University from 1961 to 1966
George Albert Archie (1914-2001), American Major League Baseball infielder with the Detroit Tigers (1938), Washington Senators (1941) and the St. Louis Browns (1941, 1946)
Willard D. Archie, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1940 4
Ivan Archie Swinburne, Australian politician, Member of Legislative Council of Victoria, Australia
John Archie Holmes (1912-2009), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Iowa State Senate 24th District, 1970 5
Denis Archie Ducharme (b. 1955), Canadian politician from Alberta
G. Archie Bedell, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956 6
Archie "Gunslinger" Cooley (1940-2024), American former college football coach
Archie Charles Williams (b. 1961), American singer who appeared on America's Got Talent, prior he was wrongfully incarcerated for 37 years in prison
Archie Moore (1913-1998), born Archibald Lee Wright, an American boxer, the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion (1952-1962); upon retirement, he was an actor, known for his role as a runaway slave in The Adventures of HuckleBerry Finn (1960)

The Archie 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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html