Show ContentsBeuord History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Beuord, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. The ancestors of the Beuord family 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 Beuord family

The surname Beuord 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 Beuord family

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

Beuord 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. Beuord has been written Beath, Beeth, Beith, Bait, Baith and others.

Early Notables of the Beuord 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 Beuord Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Beuord 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 Beuord: 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 Beuord 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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