Show ContentsRend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Rend family

The surname Rend was first found in Perthshire, in the parish of Rhynd. "The name occurs in the Chartulary of Moray early in the XIII. century and it has been variously spelt Rhynd, Rhind, Rynd and Rind. It is doubtless territorial, and derived either from the parish of Rhynd, co. Perth, or from the estate of Rhind, in Fifeshire." 1

As though to underline the same origin, another source notes: "this place, which derives its name, of Gaelic import, from its situation on a point of land at the confluence of the rivers Earn and Tay, was the resort of the celebrated Wallace, who, while meditating the deliverance of his country from a foreign yoke, was often obliged to take shelter among its woods and recesses." 2

George Fraser Black in his Surnames of Scotland, explores the history and lineage in more detail. "From the parish of Rhynd in Perthshire. William de Rynd was a charter witness in Aberdeen, 1342. Although Rynd or Rhynd is now a somewhat rare name in Angus it is of considerable antiquity in that county. Rinds or Rynds figure in feuds with Ogilvies, Guthries, and other neighbors there. Murthacus (Murdoch) del Rynde had a gift from David II of four oxgates of land in the royal hunting forest of Plater and four oxgates of Casse in 1366. " 3

Early History of the Rend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rend research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1342, 1372, 1479, 1728, 1789, 1833 and 1863 are included under the topic Early Rend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rend 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. Rend has been spelled Rhind, Rhynd, Rind, Rynd, Rinds, Rynds, Rhinds and others.

Early Notables of the Rend family

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

Ireland Migration of the Rend family to Ireland

Some of the Rend 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.


United States Rend 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 Rend:

Rend Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mathew Rend, who landed in Maryland in 1662 4
Rend Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Alexander Rend, who arrived in Maryland in 1716 4


The Rend 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: Diuturnitate fragrantior
Motto Translation: long-time fragant.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. 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)
  4. 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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook