Clelan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

In ancient Scotland, Clelan was a Strathclyde-Briton name for someone who lived in Clelland, near Motherwell, Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Clelan family

The surname Clelan 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 Clelan family

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

Clelan Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Clelan has been spelled Clelland, Cleland, Cleeland and others.

Early Notables of the Clelan 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 Lord Rivers, and after the peace became a commissioner of customs in Scotland, and af...

Migration of the Clelan family to Ireland

Some of the Clelan 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 Clelan family

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. 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 Clelan 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.