Cartain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The name Cartain has seen many modifications since the time in which it was first devised. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Artain, which means son of Art.

Early Origins of the Cartain family

The surname Cartain was first found in County Down (Irish:An Dún) part of the Province of Ulster, in Northern Ireland, formerly known as county St Mirren, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Cartain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cartain research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1350 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Cartain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cartain Spelling Variations

In the days before Gaelic or English gained any significant semblance of standardization, the scribes who created documents simply recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research into the Cartain family history revealed numerous spelling variations of the name, including MacCartan, MacCarten, MacCartain, Carton and others.

Early Notables of the Cartain family

More information is included under the topic Early Cartain Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cartain family

North America received thousands of Irish immigrants from the English-ruled Ireland during the 19th century. Once in the United States or what would become Canada, these immigrants quickly contributed to the ongoing settling and industrialization processes. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. An exhaustive examination of immigrant and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the surname of Cartain: Barney, Thomas, Terrence MacCartan who arrived in Philadelphia between 1808 and 1840; Charles MacCarton settled in New York in 1811; Thomas Carton who landed in America in 1751.

The Cartain 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: Buailim se
Motto Translation: I Strike him.