Show ContentsBeaithay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

An ancient Pictish-Scottish family was the first to use the name Beaithay. It is a name for someone who lived in the lands of Beath in Fife. 1 2 The name is a topographic or local surname, which was given to a family who held a barony or lands, had houses, manors or estates in that area. The name could have also been derived from the Gaelic beith which means birch tree.

Early Origins of the Beaithay family

The surname Beaithay was first found in Fife, at the Hill of Beath, a hill and a village in Fife, Scotland just outside Dunfermline and joined to Cowdenbeath. The village is best known as the location of the meeting of the Covenanters at which John Blackadder was one of the preachers in the summer of 1670. As of 1896, it had a population of about 1,300 people.

The first entries for the family was "Edmund de Beeth witnessed the gift of 10s. annually to the monks of Dunfermline by Gilbert de Cles in 1231, and Malcolmus Beyth witnessed a charter by Maldouen, earl of Leuenauch to the monastery of Arnbroath in the same year." 1

Early History of the Beaithay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beaithay research. Another 209 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1231, 1480, 1491, 1498, 1508, 1550, 1580, 1633, 1635, 1657, 1672, 1675 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Beaithay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beaithay Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Beaithay include Beath, Beeth, Beith, Bait, Baith and others.

Early Notables of the Beaithay family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was William Beith or Beeth, a Dominican writer, according to Anthony à  Wood, spent his early years at Oxford, and was, towards the middle of his life, made provincial of his order for England. "The apparent...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beaithay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Beaithay family

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Beaithay: Robert Beath who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1766; Henry and Robert Beath arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1830; Robert Beeth settled in Savannah, Georgia, in 1820.



The Beaithay 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: Fortuna virtute
Motto Translation: By good fortune and valour.


  1. 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)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


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