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![Show Contents]() Ayrd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland
The ancient Scottish name Ayrd was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The original bearer of the name lived in Ayrshire. Aird is a very small village, in the parish of Inch, county of Wigton and in the late 1800s had only 18 inhabitants. 1 Early Origins of the Ayrd familyThe surname Ayrd 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. There are two possible origins of the surname: from Aird near Hurlford, Ayrshire; or from Aird, a village, in the parish of Inch, county of Wigton. 2 As mentioned above, the latter village had only 18 inhabitants 1 in a reference dated 1846, one must agree with Black that the family likely came from the village near Hurlford. "The Airds of Holl and the Airds of Nether Catrine in Ayrshire were ranked as old families." 2 Early History of the Ayrd familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ayrd research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1526, 1687, 1696, 1697, 1833, 1902 and 1911 are included under the topic Early Ayrd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ayrd Spelling VariationsSpelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Ayrd has been spelled Aird, Ard, Ayrd and others. Early Notables of the Ayrd familyMore information is included under the topic Early Ayrd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Ayrd familySuch hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them: James Ard who settled in Barbados in 1680; with servants; John, Jane, and Mary Ard settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767.
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: Vigilantia
Motto Translation: Vigilance.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 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)
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