Artney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the Artney family were part of a tribe called the Picts. The name Artney is derived from the Gaelic name Mac Cartaine, which is a variant of Mac Artain. This means son of Artan and is a diminutive of the old personal name Art.

Early Origins of the Artney family

The surname Artney was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Artney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Artney research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1651, 1660, 1672, 1690, 1692, 1703, 1713, 1714, 1724, 1727, 1730, 1737, 1757, 1760, 1770, 1792, 1793, 1797 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Artney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Artney Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Artney has been spelled MacArtney, MacCartney and others.

Early Notables of the Artney family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

MacArtney of Dumfries
George Macartney (1737-1806), a British statesman, colonial administrator and diplomat, who was made the 1st Earl Macartney in the Irish peerage in 1792

Migration of the Artney family to Ireland

Some of the Artney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 138 words (10 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 Artney family

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Artney: Arthur MacCartney who settled in Virginia in 1736; James McCartney settled in Maryland in 1741; James McCartney settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767.

The Artney 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: Stimulat sed ornat
Motto Translation: It stimulates, but it adorns.