Arrathe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The saga of the Arrathe family begins among the people of the ancient tribe of the Picts. They lived in the lands of Arrat, near Brechin in Angus. While the name is quite rare there now, in the middle of the 16th century, the name was quite well known.

Early Origins of the Arrathe family

The surname Arrathe 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, where they held a family seat from very early times, some say from about the 11th century. William of Arrath held the lands of Arrat in Brechin in Angus about 1250.

Early History of the Arrathe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arrathe research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1264, 1296, 1378, 1473, 1528 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Arrathe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arrathe Spelling Variations

Although Medieval Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many spelling variations of Scottish single names. Arrathe has been written Arath, Arrath, Arat, Aratt, Aratts, Arratt, Arrat, Arrot, Arroth, Arrott, Arrothe, Arrathe, Arrade and many more.

Early Notables of the Arrathe family

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

Migration of the Arrathe family

Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to Ireland or Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Arrathe: Leonard Aratts and his wife who settled in Pennsylvania in 1683; John Arett who settled in Virginia in 1634; D. Arratt landed in New York State in 1822.

The Arrathe 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: Antiquum assero decus
Motto Translation: I claim ancient honour.