Kyd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancient Scottish name Kyd was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The original bearer of the name lived in Angus. "The name, however, is more probably a diminutive of Christopher." 1

Early Origins of the Kyd family

The surname Kyd was first found in Dundee and Arbroath where the name was an old Angus surname. "The name, however, is more probably a diminutive of Christopher. Robertus Kyd de Dunde is mentioned in 1357. Gilchrist Kide who held land near river Nethan, 1180-1203." 1

William Kidd, better known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd (c.1654-1701) was the infamous Scottish pirate who was tried and executed. Born in Dundee, he lost his father Captain John Kyd to the sea and the family was supported by a local society. Many believe that he left buried treasure and this led to many novels including Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Early History of the Kyd family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kyd research. Another 238 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1430, 1450, 1453, 1470, 1473, 1492, 1520, 1530, 1557, 1563, 1571, 1595, 1645, 1701, 1761, 1784, 1834 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kyd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kyd 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. Kyd has been spelled Kidd, Kydd, Kyd, Kid and others.

Early Notables of the Kyd family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

William Kyd (fl. 1430-1453), a 15th century English pirate active in Southwest England from the 1430s until the 1450s
Thomas Kyd (1557-1595), Scottish dramatist

Migration of the Kyd family to Ireland

Some of the Kyd family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 206 words (15 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kyd 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:

Kyd Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Kyd, who arrived in Washington in 1851 2
James Kyd, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1869

Contemporary Notables of the name Kyd (post 1700) +

Steward Kyd (d. 1811), Scottish legal writer and politician, from Forfarshire
Robert Kyd (d. 1793), British Naval officer, founder of the Botanical Gardens, Calcutta in 1764

The Kyd 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: Donec impleat orbem
Motto Translation: Until it fills its orb.

Citations +

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)
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)