Farguson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland-Alt
Scotland
Ireland
England

The sea-swept Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Farguson family. Their name comes from the Scottish surname MacFergus, which means "son of Fergus".

Early Origins of the Farguson family

The surname Farguson was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), where they were descended from the Prince of Galloway who married the daughter of Henry I of England. These ancient Lords of Galloway were independent rulers until they were annexed by Scotland in 1234. Alan, Prince of Galloway, was the last of the line. The Craigdarroch branch was the oldest but they also had branches at Cowal, Kintyre, Kilkerran, Atholl, Kinmundy, Pitfour.

The Ayrshire Fergusons, who descended from Fergus, the independent 12th century Lord of Galloway, were established in the Southwest of Scotland even before they received their charter from Bruce, the King of Scotland, in the 13th century. Furthermore, numerous families of the name Ferguson were established throughout Scotland at an early date. In Argyll, where the Ferguson Clan is particularly numerous, the Fergusons held lands in Strachur until the beginning of the 19th century. The Fergussons of Perthshire were recognized as the principal Highland branch of the Clan and the chieftainship belonged to the Dunfallandy family, the head of which was designated "MacFhearghuis."

Early History of the Farguson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farguson research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1621, 1637, 1667, 1672, 1699, 1705, 1714, 1715, 1723, 1734, 1745, 1816 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Farguson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farguson Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Farguson has been written as Ferguson, Fergusson, Farguson, Fargerson, Fargusson and many more.

Early Notables of the Farguson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was James Ferguson (1621-1667), a Scottish minister; William Ferguson (d. 1699) of Badifurrow, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; and his son, James Ferguson (died 1705), of Balmakelly and Kirtonhill, Kincardineshire, a Scottish major-general, colonel of the...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Farguson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Farguson family to Ireland

Some of the Farguson 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.

Farguson migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Farguson or a variant listed above:

Farguson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Men Farguson, who arrived in Virginia in 1711 1
Dunham Farguson, who landed in Maryland in 1747 1
Dunkin Farguson, who arrived in Maryland in 1747 1

Farguson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Farguson, who landed in Texas in 1835 1

Farguson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Farguson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Henry Farguson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750

The Farguson 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: Dulcius ex asperis
Motto Translation: Sweeter after difficulties

Citations +

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)