Show ContentsEtchison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Scottish name Etchison was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The original bearer of the name lived in Berwickshire.

Early Origins of the Etchison family

The surname Etchison was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where one of the first records of the name was Johannes filius Ade was a "custumar" of North Berwick in 1384 and later appears as John Atkynsoun in 1387. [1]

Early History of the Etchison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Etchison research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1408, 1552, 1558, 1563, 1580, 1611, 1621, 1628, 1629, 1634, 1638, 1655, 1657, 1685, 1688, 1695, 1699, 1701, 1727, 1728, 1748 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Etchison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Etchison Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Etchison has been spelled Acheson, Acherson, Atcherson, Aitcheson, Aitchison, Atcheson, Achison and many more.

Early Notables of the Etchison family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Etchison Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Etchison Ranking

In the United States, the name Etchison is the 17,783rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the Etchison family to Ireland

Some of the Etchison family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 183 words (13 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Etchison migration to the United States +

Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them:

Etchison Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Josephine Etchison, aged 59, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Orduna" from Cherbourg, France [3]
  • Marshall L. Etchison, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Orduna" from Cherbourg, France [3]
  • Julia Etchison, aged 27, who arrived in New York in 1924 aboard the ship "Zeeland" from Cherbourg, France [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Etchison (post 1700) +

  • Dennis William Etchison (1943-2019), American writer and editor of fantasy and horror fiction
  • Clarence Hampton "Buck" Etchison (1915-1980), American Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Boston Braves from 1943 to 1944
  • Horace Etchison, American politician, Mayor of McAllen, Texas, 1937-45 [4]
  • G. W. Etchison, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Gaithersburg, Maryland, 1917-21 [4]
  • Edward Hart Etchison, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1956 [4]
  • E. Dorsey Etchison, American politician, U.S. Consul in Matamoros, 1864-65 [4]
  • A. C. Etchison, American Republican politician, Chair of Christian County Republican Party, 1950; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1960 [4]


The Etchison 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: Ane chast arbor
Motto Translation: One pure tree.


  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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