Norten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the Norten family were part of a tribe called the Picts. The name Norten is derived from the Pictish name Nechtan. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Neachdainn, which means son of Nechtan.

Early Origins of the Norten family

The surname Norten was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held lands at Lochow and Loch Fyne, called Glenera, Glenshira, and Glen Fyne.

Early History of the Norten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Norten research. Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1247, 1431, 1438, 1565, 1614, 1627 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Norten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norten Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Norten has been spelled MacNaughton, McNachton, MacNaghten, MacNechten, Notton, Norton and many more.

Early Notables of the Norten family

More information is included under the topic Early Norten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Norten family to Ireland

Some of the Norten family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norten migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Norten:

Norten Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J N Norten, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 1

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)