Cleelan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

A family of Strathclyde-Briton were the first to use the name Cleelan. They lived in Clelland, near Motherwell, Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Cleelan family

The surname Cleelan was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Cleelan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cleelan research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1661, 1674, 1689, 1709, 1723, 1741, 1789 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cleelan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cleelan Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Cleelan has appeared as Clelland, Cleland, Cleeland and others.

Early Notables of the Cleelan family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Cleland, gamekeeper to the Marquess of Douglas; and his son, William Cleland (ca.1661-1689), a Scottish poet and soldier. William Cleland (1674?-1741), was a "friend of Pope, of Scotch birth. He studied at Utrecht, served in Spain under...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cleelan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cleelan family to Ireland

Some of the Cleelan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cleelan family

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them: George, and James Cleland, who arrived in Baltimore in 1804; Charles Cleland settled in Boston in 1820; John and Samuel arrived in New York State in 1811..

The Cleelan 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: Non sibi
Motto Translation: Not for himself.