Show ContentsOuchterlony History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Ouchterlony, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived in Auchterlonie, near Forfar, in the county of Angus where the family dates back to the 12th century. [1]

Early Origins of the Ouchterlony family

The surname Ouchterlony was first found in Forfarshire part of the Tayside region of North Eastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, where they were anciently an old family of Angus seated on the lands of Auchterlonie near Forfar from about the year 1200. The first on record was John Auchterlonie who exchanged his lands for his son's lands of Kenny, later Kelly, in 1226. [1]

The Swedish family claims descent from Sea Captain Thomas Ouchterlony (1691-1777), son of Alexander Ouchterlony (ca. 1655-1735), merchant in Dundee and grandson of John Ouchterlony (1623-1695), minister in Aberlemno , Angus, Scotland, who served in the Swedish East India Company (1733 to ca.1748.) He settled in Karlshamn in 1748 and worked as a sea captain there until 1759 when he returned to Great Britain. Thomas' son, John Ouchterlony (1729-1776) sailed with his father to Karlshamn in 1748 and married Maria Margareta Hulst there.

Early History of the Ouchterlony family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ouchterlony research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1388, 1410, 1430, 1457, 1514, 1518, 1643, 1648, 1661, 1663 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Ouchterlony History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ouchterlony 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. Ouchterlony has been spelled Auchterlonie, Auchterlony, Ochterlonie, Ochterlony, Ouchterlony, Ochterlonee, Aughterlony, Aughterloney, Aughterlonie, Auchterlowney, Auchterlownie, Achterlonie, Achterlony, Oughterlonie and many more.

Early Notables of the Ouchterlony family

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

Migration of the Ouchterlony family

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 Ouchterlony: John Auchterlony who settled in Maryland in 1740.


Contemporary Notables of the name Ouchterlony (post 1700) +

  • James Ouchterlony (b. 1973), Scottish racing marathon and cross country mountain cyclist who represented Scotland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
  • Hanna Cordelia Ouchterlony (1838-1924), Swedish officer of the Salvation Army who introduced the Salvation Army in Sweden in 1882, and in Norway in 1888
  • Örjan Ouchterlony (1914-2004), Swedish bacteriologist and immunologist who is credited with the creation of the Ouchterlony double immuno diffusion test in the 1940s


The Ouchterlony 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: Deus mihi adjutor
Motto Translation: God is my helper.


  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)


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