Blare History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The chronicles of the Blare family show that the name was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for a person who lived in the village of Blair, in the county of Ayrshire.

"The Blairs 'of that ilk' in Ayrshire, have been seated in that co. for more than 600 years. They claim the chief-ship of all the Blairs in the South and West of Scotland, though that honour is challenged by the Blairs of Balthayock, co. Perth, who date back to the beginning of the XIII. " 1

Early Origins of the Blare family

The surname Blare 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.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of this Clan name include Stephen de Blare, who was a recorded witness of a document about the monastery of Arbroath between 1204 and 1211, and of Brice de Blair and Alexander del Blair, who witnessed an agreement between the burgh of Irvine and Brice de Eglustone in 1205. Alexander de Blare witnessed a charter by Fergus, earl of Buchan before 1214, and also a charter by Randulf de Strethphetham. William of Blare who witnessed a charter by Malcolm, seventh earl of Fife, is probably Sir William de Blar, seneschal of Fife, 1235. David de Blare of Perthshire rendered homage in 1296 to King Edward I of England. 2

William of Blare witnessed a charter by Malcolm, 7th Earl of Fife. He is probably the same man as Sir William de Blar, who was Seneschal of Fife in 1235. His son, Sir Bryce Blair, was known as "the gallant knight." He fought with Sir William Wallace but was eventually taken prisoner, and executed at Ayr. 2

John Blair (fl. 1300), was chaplain of Sir William Wallace, a native of Fife, and is said to have been educated at Dundee in the same school with Wallace. 3 He wrote an account of the travels and adventures, which is said to be the source for the famed verse written in the late 1400s, Schir William Wallace by Blind Harry.

Further to the south in England, "the Blairs, of Northumberland, are probably derived from the Blairs of Ayrshire." 4

Early History of the Blare family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blare research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1593, 1634, 1646, 1650, 1656, 1666, 1679, 1699, 1743, 1746 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Blare History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blare Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Blare has been spelled Blair, Blayr, Blare, Blaire and others.

Early Notables of the Blare family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Robert Blair (1593-1666) a Scottish Nonconformist divine, excommunicated in 1634, but later became Moderator of the General Assembly in 1646. "His father was a merchant-adventurer, John Blair of Windyedge, a younger brother of the ancient family of Blair of that ilk; his mother was Beatrix Muir (of the house of Rowallan), who lived for nearly a century." 3Robert Blair (1699-1746), was a Scottish poet, best known for...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blare Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Blare family to Ireland

Some of the Blare family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blare migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

Blare Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Blare, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 5
Tho Blare, who landed in Virginia in 1662 5
Elizabeth Blare, who arrived in Maryland in 1672 5

Blare Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Blare, who arrived in New England in 1718 5
Rachel Blare, who arrived in New England in 1718 5

The Blare 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: Amo probos
Motto Translation: I love the virtuous

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)