Show ContentsClyde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Clyde family

The surname Clyde 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, where they held a family seat north of the English/Scottish border. After the Norman Conquest of England many of Duke William's rebellious Barons moved north. From the border to the River Clyde became a convenient but turbulent no-man's land. Many were given land by King Malcolm Canmore and later by King David of Scotland. Some were native Scots. In the 16th century they became known as the 'unruly clans'. The name was first recorded in Scotland at Mauldislee.

Early History of the Clyde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clyde research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1585 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Clyde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clyde Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Clyde, Clide and others.

Early Notables of the Clyde family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • the Clyde family of Ayrshire

Clyde Ranking

In the United States, the name Clyde is the 6,771st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Clyde family to Ireland

Some of the Clyde 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.


United States Clyde migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clyde Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Daniel Clyde, who arrived in New England in 1730 2
  • Hugh Clyde, who arrived in New England in 1730 2
Clyde Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Clyde, aged 13, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 2
  • Thomas Clyde, who landed in America in 1804 2
  • William Clyde, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1812 2
  • R Clyde, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
  • David Clyde, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1878 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Clyde migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Clyde Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Jane Clyde, aged 25, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland

Contemporary Notables of the name Clyde (post 1700) +

  • Norman Clyde (1885-1972), American mountaineer, mountain guide, freelance writer, nature photographer, and self trained naturalist
  • June Clyde (1909-1987), American actress, singer, and dancer
  • George Dewey Clyde (1898-1972), American politician and the tenth Governor of Utah
  • David Clyde (b. 1955), American baseball pitcher
  • Samuel Clyde, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Tryon County, 1777-78 3
  • Louis A. Clyde, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1912 3
  • Joseph Clyde, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Otsego County, 1828 3
  • James W. Clyde, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Utah, 1916 3
  • Edward Clyde, American politician, Mayor of Springville, Utah, 1953 3
  • James Latham McDiarmid Clyde (1898-1975), Scottish Unionist politician and judge
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Neil Clyde, English Able-Bodied Seaman from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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