Show ContentsScotson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Boernician-Scottish Scotson family lived in Roxburgh (now part of the region of Borders), Scotland. The surname Scott is of local origin as it denotes one who came from Scotland as in the Scot. The double 't' in Scott is now universal. Other records claim the name was for someone in England, who came to be from Scotland. Pre-dating surnames, the name may have been used for a Gaelic speaker within Scotland, who arrived with the Gaelic Dalriadans from Ireland in around 500 AD.

Early Origins of the Scotson family

The surname Scotson was first found in Roxburghshire, where a family seat was held on the lands of Ballendan at the head of the Ale water in that county. They descended from Uchtredus Scott who held the lands before 1107; he is on record as a witness to the foundation charter of Selkirk in 1120. Another early record is of Henricus le Scotte, who witnessed a charter by David Earl of Strathearn around 1195. By 1200, this great Clan controlled the borderlands of the Middle Marches of West Teviotdale, Ewesdale, Liddesdale, Buccleuch and Balweariel. 1

Early History of the Scotson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scotson research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1450, 1565, 1611, 1644, 1647, 1649, 1661, 1674, 1685, 1693, 1705, 1745, 1771, 1832 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Scotson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scotson Spelling Variations

Spelling rules had not yet evolved in medieval Scotland, some names dating from that era often appear many different ways. Some spelling variations of Scotson include Scott, Scot, Skotts, Scot, Scotach, Scott, Schotts and many more.

Early Notables of the Scotson family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Walter Scott of Buccleuch (1565-1611), a Scottish nobleman and famous border reiver, known as the "Bold Buccleuch"; Mary Scott, 3rd Countess of Buccleuch and Countess of Tarras (1647-1661) Scottish peeress who married at the age of 11; Walter Scott, 1st Earl of Tarras (1644-1693), a Scottish nobleman who...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Scotson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Scotson family to Ireland

Some of the Scotson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Scotson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Scotson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Scotson, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
  • Mr. Henry Scotson, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3


The Scotson 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: Amo
Motto Translation: I love


  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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone


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